The fragile public truce between Kevin Pietersen and at least one of his former England team-mates would appear to be over after he took to Twitter to respond to implied criticism of his attitude by the Test vice-captain Matt Prior.
Prior was quoted, during a question and answer session in Dubai, as saying the England dressing room would be a better place without Pietersen.
Pietersen has been mostly restrained, even on Twitter, since he was dumped by England two weeks ago, presumably happy for the likes of the TV presenter Piers Morgan to argue his case. But on this occasion he could not resist hitting back, albeit in a subtle and grammatically impressive manner.
' Fewer Q&A's, more Sussex nets methinks, @MattPrior! #josbuttler' he tweeted, referring to the pressure on Prior for his Test place from the one-day wicketkeeper after a disastrous Ashes series when he was dropped after three Tests.
That provoked the inevitable range of responses, including 'showing your class again Kevin... idiot' and 'that will be why KP isn't in the England set-up anymore'. Again, Pietersen could not help himself, tweeting 'neither is The Big Cheese Prior!' - a reference to the nickname the wicketkeeper has held, and apparently relished, in the England dressing room since his brash early days.
Another Pietersen baiter pointed out 'At least they're 1st division nets Kev!!' Prior's county, Sussex, are in Division One of the County Championship whereas Surrey, with whom Pietersen has signed a new contract, were relegated last season. 'they county nets!' he responded. 'Not where the 'Big Cheese' wants to play his cricket!'
Pietersen and Prior have plenty of previous. It was Prior who made a telephone call to Pietersen trying to resolve the gulf that had opened in the England dressing room during the stormy summer of 2012. But the wicketkeeper was dragged into the public row over Pietersen's future when Morgan accused him of stabbing Pietersen in the back during a team meeting in Australia - an allegation Prior angrily denied, again on Twitter.
On this occasion the problems seem to be of Prior's own making. When asked in Dubai whether the dressing room would be a better place without Pietersen, he reportedly said 'yes, it will', going on to explain: 'One of the biggest things the ECB want to rediscover is the value of playing cricket for England. The honour and the pride you need to show as an England cricketer.
'And they only want people in that dressing room that are going to be passionate about England winning and performing.'
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