Divided by cliques and changed by success: Kieswetter

Craig Kieswetter, a dominant figure who paved the way for the English in the ICC World T20 triumph in West Indies (the only ICC trophy won by the English), spoke lengths about how the English dressing room atmosphere changed over the years,  from being united after the historic wins in the World T20  and the Ashes in England to being ‘divided’ by cliques.

“It wasn’t just us competing against the opposition,” the wicket-keeper said. “There was a sense that some of us were competing against one another. By the time we were No. 1 in the world, it was a very different dressing room. Success changed people. Cliques developed. There were jokes made in the dressing room if you had a South African background. When we warmed up in training, we were split into sides: South Africans v English.

“There were lots of talk about it in the media and here we were making it worse. It created an unnecessary divide. A sense of them and us.

“It grew worse. The Test players were together so much that, when the limited-overs players turned up, it felt like you were on the outside. The Test guys hung out with each other; the limited-overs guys hung out. The spirit I experienced in those first few weeks was never there again.”

Success came knocking at Kieswetter’s door very early in his career. He was named Man of the final in the World T20 title win in the West Indies and then became the youngest player after David Gower to score a century in the One Dayers.

But the swashbuckling Wicket Keeper cum batsman, who played with freedom felt ‘caged’ in his own dressing room.

“I started out playing with freedom; I ended up caged. I guess if I was in the current set-up I would thrive, but I had a good record as an opener and they asked me to bat at No. 6. It’s tough, but I’m disappointed with the way I responded to it.”  said Kieswetter.

A fortnight ago, fate pulled a cruel trick on the talented Somerset player as he was gruesomely injured while playing county cricket which forced Kieswetter to call it a day.”I know I can’t play at the level I want to,” he said.

“I can still play. I can still be okay. But when I came back at the end of last season, there was a lot of bravado and adrenaline involved. In the end I just thought, there are too many mediocre players in county cricket – and good luck to them – but I don’t want to be another one.”  he added.