Johannesburg – Cricket SA (CSA) has dismissed allegations by England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) chief executive David Collier that South African players instigated the text message row involving top-order batsman Kevin Pietersen.
“This is absolute rubbish,” CSA acting chief executive Jacques Faul said on Friday.
“What is particularly disappointing is that I had a face-to-face meeting with Mr Collier when I was in London for the Lord’s Test match.
“He did not raise this allegation with me then and I would have thought as a matter of courtesy and decency he would have spoken to me about it before going public in the media.”
Faul was responding to comments made by Collier on British radio, claiming Pietersen's critical comments about then England captain Andrew Strauss during the second test at Headingley were only made in response to provocative Blackberry messenger messages sent by South African team members to the England player.
“This is an internal ECB matter in which we do not wish to be involved and it is not the way CSA goes about its business,” Faul said.
“It is very disappointing because in the past our relationships with the ECB have always been cordial and constructive.” – Sapa