Candid Kevin Pietersen Speaks At #sibc
Kevin Pietersen opened up to the sport industry this morning discussing the future of cricket, his passion for the game, his commercial interests, relationships with sponsors, the battles of social media, his book and ‘that’ decision by England director of cricket, Andrew Strauss.
Sports broadcaster James Pearce interviewed Pietersen before the industry audience were able to ask their own tough questions. The third Sport Industry Breakfast Club of 2015 saw the international cricketer impress on stage, before staying behind to mix with guests in the networking session afterwards.
Pietersen, who now has a number of business-focused interests outside of cricket, likened a number of qualities required for sport with the business world.
“If you believe in something you have to keep pursuing it, and accept that you will make mistakes,” commented Pietersen. “I love it, knowing that I can wake up in the morning and learn new things. Business is just like sport, you have good days and bad days, and I love the bad days because it makes the good ones even better!”
As the Twenty20 format continues to develop around the world, with Pietersen himself signing up to the new Pakistan League this week, the batsman spoke out in defence of the Test format, but admitted a franchise system for England could only benefit the national team.
“Twenty20 cricket is here to stay, the game brings in a whole different audience to the sport, but I love Test cricket. We owe it to the great game to speak positively about Test cricket. It’s an amazing part of what we do and it’s the thing I miss most about the game.
“The art of that first morning, that first half an hour of a Test match. That hour before end of play. It’s all so fascinating. You don’t get that in any other version.”
“Test cricketers should get paid more, they need to know they are being looked after. With the lures of franchise cricket, we need to protect the game. Test matches should be the pinnacle.”
“I think county cricket and the ECB have got it right. The only issue is that with the amount of cricket and global tournaments being played, you don’t get the same quality of player playing county cricket.
“Players can go and play in places like the Caribbean, South Africa, Australia, and earn a lot of money in a short amount of time, rather than spending six months in the current county system.
“I know a lot of counties don’t like talking about franchises, but there needs to be some sort of block in the calendar where the big stars can come and play.”
Speaking a month after the Investec Ashes win for the England side, the country’s all time leading run scorer in all forms of the game, said: “I didn’t find it hard [to watch the Ashes] at all. I love seeing England win.
“I have some real close buddies in that side and seeing them do the business was something that made me happy. Seeing those guys play so well and just seeing the structure and the way it has developed makes me so happy.
“As long as I love batting, then I want to bat at the top level. As soon as I stop loving my batting and loving practising then I’ll stop. When I think I can play the way I have over competitions all around the world then of course in would love to play Test cricket. If that can’t happen then I will just keep plying my trade anywhere I can over the next few years.”
Asked about Strauss’ decision to leave him out of the side, Pietersen added: “Absolutely it seems to be the right decision at the moment.”
The Twenty20 star has a number of long-term relationships with the likes of adidas and Oakley, and revealed the secrets of managing those deals.
“The key to maintaining relationships is understanding objectives from the start. Finances come second or third, it’s about understanding what you want, what the brand want, and longevity. I don’t like quick fixes, and it’s important to remember you can help them as much as they can help you.
“Spending time with corporates and sponsors who understand what’s going on in the real world is essential for sportsmen.”
Now working with young cricket players as a director of his management agency, Pietersen also offered his advice to new potential stars of the sport: “The key is to keep doing your job. Keep getting runs on the park, things will happen off the park. The key focus is to get your day job right.”
“It’s a fascinating battle between social media and sportsmen. It’s one of the first thoughts that goes through your head when you get out to a bad shot!”
“There is certainly a positive to it though. It’s an amazing message that you can broadcast to people. I know we like to talk about the bad stuff, but for brands and sponsors it’s a great opportunity for sportspeople.”
The final Sport Industry Breakfast Club takes place on 10th November. Join the Club.
