Veteran England batsman Ian Bell has claimed that Kevin Pietersen had no ‘trust issues’ with the team mates, adding that Alastair Cook was the main obstacle in his return.
England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) reasons for barring Pietersen’s return was undermined after Bell said that he didn’t have any trust issues with the players, insisting that Pietersen was the best player he had played with, Stuff.co.nz reported.
However, the newly appointed England Cricket’s director Andrew Strauss had earlier said that Pietersen was barred from making a comeback because he had ‘trust issues’ with the team mates.
Bell added that Pietersen had every right to be feeling aggrieved.
It is supposed that it was Cook who barred Pietersen’s return by threatening ECB to resign as captain.
Bell was Cook’s vice captain when Pietersen was removed from the England set-up, before Joe root was appointed as vice-captain by Strauss.
Bell’s comment follows that of Pietersen, who said that it was only Cook who was opposed to his recall.
Despite scoring 355 not out for Surrey against Leicestershire in the County Championship, the maverick batsman was rejected by Andrew Strauss for making a comeback to the national side. (ANI)