England 'accept Proteas did not provoke Pietersen'

JOHANNESBURG (AFP) –

English official David Collier has backtracked on claims that South African players provoked Kevin Pietersen (pictured here in July) into sending controversial text messages, Cricket South Africa (CSA) said Monday.

English official David Collier has backtracked on claims that South African players provoked Kevin Pietersen into sending controversial text messages, Cricket South Africa (CSA) said Monday.

Pietersen sent messages allegedly critical of some England team-mates during a mid-year Test, leading to him being dropped for the final match of a series won 2-0 by South Africa and the World Twenty20 tournament in Sri Lanka.

England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) chief executive Collier later said in a radio interview that Pietersen had been set up by the Proteas, triggering fury and denials from South African players and officials.

“Cricket South Africa has made it clear to ECB that the electronic messages were not part of any initiative or plan to undermine the England team or players,” said an ECB statement seen here.

“ECB has unreservedly accepted that assurance and wishes to reiterate that it has no issue at all with CSA.

“Although the boards do not agree on the sequence of events regarding any responses to messages between Pietersen and certain Proteas players, CSA and SACA (South African Cricketers’ Association) accept Collier’s apology.”

Pietersen has since mended relations with England and will be considered for matches in all formats. His exile ended last Saturday when he played for Delhi Daredevils in a Champions League Twenty20 game near Pretoria.