Fans stunned by Kevin Pietersen rant as he goes full Roy Keane at England players
Kevin Pietersen went full Roy Keane on Sky Sports after a poor start to the first day of the second Ashes Test.
England won the toss and decided to bowl first at Lord's with favourable conditions but completely wasted an ideal start.
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Australia built up a strong lead on the first day, racing to 190-2 before tea with Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne looking in fine fettle.
In contrast, England's bowlers have looked pedestrian and have been gobbled up by Australia's greedy batsmen and Pietersen did not hold back in his assessment of the home side.
“It’s just not good enough, it really isn’t,” he said on commentary Sky Sports during the match.
“These guys are expected to bowl Australia out today and it’s just getting sloppy. Not enough balls in the right area. And the speeds haven’t been up.
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“(Ollie) Robinson, in his first couple of spells, was bowling at 78 miles an hour and David Warner was sweeping him. It all just looks a little bit too easy here for Australia.”
And during his post afternoon session rant, he added: "Not a lot has caught my eye from an English perspective, it has been shambolic. Absolutely shambolic.
"You have overhead conditions, you have a wicket that suits your bowlers and you have bowlers running in at 78, 79mph.
"Now it is one thing to have, walking here and swanning around and saying 'hey this is a wonderful team to play in, we are creating the best environment'.
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"But this is not Ashes cricket. I've played Ashes cricket, I've played 13 Test matches against Australia.
"The Australians were out here to bat before the English bowlers. The English bowlers this morning should have been on those stairs saying 'we want to bowl at Australia, we are desperate to bowl at Australia'.
"These two Australian batters are out there waiting for England. They should have been the ones in the dressing room saying 'no, we don't want to bat'.
"It is all too easy and it is all too nice. Are you telling me Ricky Ponting in 2005 would have been talking to Geraint Jones?
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"Do you think Michael Vaughan would have been standing next to Justin Langer and saying 'hey mate, what a cool day. Look at this, it is overcast, it is beautiful'.
"Are you joking? Are you absolutely joking?
"I just hope they are in that dressing room now and the England coach is giving them the biggest hammering and saying it is not good enough. It is absolutely not good enough.
"You cannot bowl that here today. You cannot declare for 390. Do you think Australia will declare today? No chance."
It led to a big reaction on social media with fans coming to agree with the England cricket legend who often divides opinion.
One fan said: "Kevin Pietersen completely right … this isn’t Ashes cricket. Flat, nonchalant, all too friendly. Great conditions for bowling."
And another wrote: "Kevin Pietersen doing a fantastic Roy Keane impression here. All for the YouTube views."
And a third said: "Kevin Pietersen is spot on about the England performance today, the best bowling conditions you could wish for and they’ve wasted them."
KP's words may have had the desired effect with Robinson getting the wicket of Labuschagne early into the evening session, leaving Australia at 198-3.
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