Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting wasn't pleased with ex-England batter Kevin Pietersen's tweet in which he called Nathan Lyon as a bowler with 'zero variations'. Pietersen was surprised to see the English batters not attacking against Lyon in the second Ashes Test.
"Can SOMEONE please smack Lyon?!?!! FFS! Off-spinner with zero variations and bowling on world crickets flattest road!!!! #Ashes," Pietersen tweeted. Ponting took a jibe at him for the tweet and reminded the former England cricketer of his stats against Lyon.
Ponting, on Channel 7, said, “I wonder if Kev is still watching? The Goat's got another one. This is off-spin of the highest class."
“400 Test wickets, Kev. Lyon to Pietersen. Lyon got him four times for 163 runs and at the Adelaide Oval, the world‘s flattest cricket wicket, Kevin Pietersen, none for 14 off 23 balls with 15 dots and only one boundary. Come on, Kev,” he added during his commentary.
Pietersen further posted a tweet and wrote that it's surprising for him to see the Australians have taken his tweet in a negative way. He asked if Lyon is not allowed to be attacked just because he has picked up 400 Test wickets?
"It’s quite bizarre how many Australians responded so negatively to my tweet about Lyon. The Aussie way would be to attack and NOT play him like these English batters. Because he’s got 400 wickets you’re not allowed to attack him?! Strange!", he wrote.
Lyon completed his 400 Test wickets in the first Ashes Test, which Australia won by 9 wickets. Shane Warne (708) and Glenn McGrath (563) are the only Australians who have achieved the feat before him.
