Kevin Pietersen was a controversial figure in the hugely successful English side. He was dropped from the team in 2012 after allegedly sending insulting messages about then captain Andrew Strauss to his visiting South African mates.
See Also: Strauss at pain over fall out with Pietersen, rues missed opportunity to make things work
Later, Pietersen's untenable relationship with former England coach Andy Flower and captain Alastair Cook also came to the fore. His international career eventually ended abruptly at the culmination of England’s 5-0 Ashes whitewash in Australia in 203-14.
Recalling that text-gate controversy, Former England skipper Michael Vaughan said Pietersen shouldn't have ever played for the national team again.
“It had a huge effect on English cricket for a while and I still think it has a massive effect on a few individuals. I still think there are a few who have come out of this worse,” Vaughan told foxsports.com.au.
“I’ve never seen 100 per cent clarification that that was the case, but if he did, I personally said at the time and have said it since, he shouldn’t have ever played for England again.
“If an England player, doesn’t matter who it is, (is) found to be texting the opposing international team how to get one of your own players out I don’t think he should have played for England again,” he added.
Vaughan also claimed that Pietersen's lucrative IPL contract had made his England teammates jealous which further spoiled his image in the dressing room.
Notably, Pietersen was among the first few English cricketers to feature in the cash-rich T20 league. He was picked by Royal Challengers Bangalore for $1.55 million in the IPL 2009 auction.
“I think there was a lot of jealousy. And the players will completely deny it now but I think there was at the time when Kevin was on a massive contract.
“There were all sorts of whispers and rumours of cliques in the team. There was a little band of a few; Graeme Swann, Tim Bresnan, (James) Anderson, (Stuart) Broad and Matt Prior. The whispers were they were on one side and Kevin was kind of standing on his own on the other side.
“It wasn’t anything other than that Kev around that time wanted to go to the IPL. That’s how it all started to blow up and that’s when those factions came into play.
“He was saying to the team he wanted to play because it would further the development of the one-day team and all the one-day players would get the chance to play there and improve their game. They deemed that he just wanted to go for the money. He was on a big contract while not many of the other players were even getting sniffed at.
“It was very much Kevin against the team in terms of that one,” Vaughan said.
