Former English cricketer James Taylor calls Kevin Pietersen 'arrogant' in his autobiography

Former England cricketer James Taylor has shed light on how it was sharing the dressing room with Kevin Pietersen in his recently released autobiography titled ‘Cut Short’. Taylor has exclusively mentioned that he holds no respect for England’s fifth all-time leading run scorer because of his arrogance. Pietersen has long been one of the most divisive figures in English cricket, but his undoubted talent and ability have often clouded by personality conflicts that have been dotted throughout his career.

Taylor, who had to take premature retirement from competitive cricket owing to incurable heart disease, vividly recounted his debut Test match against South Africa at Leeds in 2012 wherein KP’s treatment towards him was unjustifiable. Going into retrospect, the 28-year-old recounts the first and only words Pietersen said to him at their first encounter at an England net session were, “what are you doing here?”

Delving further, Taylor wrote in his autobiography, “Whether he was trying to intimidate me and be the big man, or it was him feeling threatened by me, I don’t know. But this was before I’d even met him properly or shared a dressing room. He didn’t know me from a bar of soap but that was how he chose to be. They say never meet your heroes, and if ever there was a classic case, KP was it.”

Pietersen Taylor enjoyed a 100+ runs partnership

Taylor along with Pietersen forged a 147-run partnership during that Test in Leeds, but the former Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire batsman was shocked to see KP’s ill-behaviour. The diminutive right-hander had scored 34 off 104 deliveries in his debut Test innings whereas Pietersen had dismantled the Proteas attack with his audacious 149 off just 214 balls in the same innings.

Taylor was eventually dismissed after scoring a cautious 34 off 104 deliveries; his knock laced with four boundaries. Pietersen, on the other hand, had scored a brilliant 149 off just 214 balls and had helped England take a six-run lead at the end of the first innings of play.

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