Hussain caught off guard by KP omission
Kevin Pietersen will not play for England against South Africa this week
Nasser Hussain has admitted his surprise that England have not selected Kevin Pietersen for the third and final Investec Test match against South Africa which starts at Lord's this Thursday.
Yorkshire's Jonny Bairstow has been brought in to replace Pietersen and Hussain believes that there has been too much attention on the Surrey batsman since last week's draw at Headingley.
"I was a little bit surprised. It is not often a player gets 149 in a Test match and is left out the next week," he told Sky Sports News.
"English cricket are a worse side without him in the side. Graeme Smith and the rest of the South African team will be sitting there right now and are thinking it is great that Kevin Pietersen is not playing for England.
"No Pietersen does make England a slightly weaker side, but you can't have this all the time where the focus is on one person when it has to be on the team."
In announcing the squad, Managing Director England Cricket, Hugh Morris said they were unable to find an answer as to what the content was of the text messages Kevin Pietersen is alleged to have sent some members of the South African team.
Hussain believes that coupled with Pietersen's press conference on Monday when he said it was "tough being me" in the English dressing room and failing to inform the management team of the video he posted on Youtube were major factors in him being dropped.
"He's had a bad week off the field, and some really bad decision-making started with that press conference where he blamed English cricket for all his woes," Hussain added.
"Then there was the stuff about texts. Even last night he announces coming back without telling England. If he could be bothered to ring the Delhi Daredevils why not sit down with the England management?
"As a management structure you expect to manage difficult people. Pietersen is an absolute genius. We saw that last week at Headingley, sometimes you have a flawed genius and that is what Kevin Pietersen definitely is. It's just a bridge too far. They will put up with a lot from Kevin Pietersen but not the antics of the last week."
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