Pete Barrow column: Did Graves really open the door for KP?

The mere mention of the initials KP ensure a media frenzy and if new ECB chairman Colin Graves wanted to ensure cricket has its fair share of coverage then the past few days have certainly been mission accomplished from his point of view.

Given Graves’ image as being a ‘straight to the point’ Yorkshireman, it is hard to believe that his suggestion there could be a way back for England’s leading run scorer of all time Kevin Pietersen was any kind of loose talk.

However, while the sports channels and back pages of the papers have been debating just how the restoration of KP can be achieved, you have to feel that they might just have jumped the gun.

Having brought the County Championship back to Yorkshire last season, Graves knows what he is about and it helps to take a close look at just what he has said about Pietersen.

While in some circles Graves has been portrayed as pushing the door wide open to the flamboyant and controversial batsman – the truth is a little different I would suggest.

While it is arguable that the ECB were hasty in sacking the Pietermaritzburg-born player, and Graves may be attempting to soften that blow with the benefit of hindsight, what the ECB chairman has actually said is that KP’s best chance of making an international return is by performing well in county cricket.

So just how much of an opportunity is that handing the 34-year-old batsman?

Pietersen originally signed with Nottinghamshire in 2001 before then moving to Hampshire in 2005 and finally to Surrey in 2010, but he will need to pick up a county contract for 2015 if he is to comply with Graves’ route back to the England return.

Just how appealing this will be to Pietersen is arguable as he has tended to show more interest in finding a big stage – with the accompanying big brass – on which to strut his talents.

Royal Challengers Bangalore, Deccan Chargers and Delhi Daredevils have all benefitted from his talents in the Indian Premier League, and for 2015 he is already signed to SunRisers Hyderabad.

KP also remains as a St Lucia Zouks player in the Caribbean Premier League, and he was signed by the Melbourne Stars in 2014–15 Big Bash League season, with a contract for two years as the No3 batsmen.

As ever Pietersen has proved ‘enigmatic’ in his playing in these varied competitions, but his current form would appear to be good as in the Big Bash he ended as the second highest run scorer with 293 in eight innings.

So with cash to collect abroad, will KP be keen to turn in the kind of hours that Graves would like to see on freezing cold county grounds from Taunton to Durham as the English domestic season gets under way?

And even if KP does knuckle down and prove his form in the County Championship, there would appear to be a few other broken bridges that will need attention along the way.

His relationship with coaches is somewhat chequered and, while he was axed under the reign of Andy Flower, the big patch-up job will be with current England head coach Peter Moores.

Moores is in his second stint at the England helm – his first one being ended after an acrimonious falling out with Pietersen.

And then there are the players and just whether his ‘colleagues’ will have forgiven him for accusing them of being bullies will have to be seen.

Certainly part of Pietersen’s removal after the 5-0 Ashes defeat in Australia seemed to centre on allowing England captain Alistair Cook to try and blossom in that role without the hassle of dealing with the KP sideshow.

The current England camp don’t seem too fussed about KP either, with Yorkshire’s rising star Joe Root describing the possible return of Pietersen as ‘irrelevant’.

Graves has acted in a conciliatory way and brought a bit of excitement to the reporting on England at a time when the team are proving themselves to be way off the pace in the current ICC World Cup.

But Graves has also put the ball in KP’s court and if the batsman does choose to prove himself on the playing fields of England in the domestic game, it will be interesting to see if the international coaches and selectors deem that a 34-year-old is really what they need in an England side that really needs to be looking forward and bringing younger talent into the team.