Piers Morgan issues public apology to England cricket legend – ‘I’m sorry’

Piers Morgan has often been a vocal critic of England cricket legend Alastair Cook in the aftermath of Kevin Pietersen’s exit from the international fold but the pair now appear to have settled their differences

Piers Morgan has issued a grovelling apology to Alastair Cook 11 years after labelling the England a ‘weasel’. The broadcaster was a regular critic of the former England cricket captain during his tenure.

He slammed Cook for the apparent part that he played in Kevin Pietersen’s exile from the international fold in 2013. Writing on social media at the time, he said: “As for you Alastair Cook – what a repulsive little weasel you’ve turned out to be. Aside from worst ever Ashes tour captain.”

Morgan has since stated that “hell would freeze over” before he would apologise to Cook, as well as England’s former director of cricket Sir Andrew Strauss, for his criticism. But with Morgan and Cook having been united on an episode of The Overlap and Betfair’s Stick to Cricket show, the former has seemingly buried the hatchet with Cook regarding his comments.

He has claimed that he was only angry because he wanted to see Pietersen play even more. Morgan said: “Me and Alastair fell out without ever meeting because I still feel that the whole thing was just really badly handled with Kevin Pietersen. I loved watching Kevin Pietersen bat.

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“He had been to me the greatest post war batsman we produced, certainly the most entertaining. He was fit as a fiddle; he had been the top scorer in that series and yet he became the sacrificial lamb who never played for England again.

“The real victim was the England cricket fan who would have loved another five years out of Kevin Pietersen. I just felt the fact he never played again after 33 still to me feels like that should have been better handled.

“I have to admit I was very full on against you (Alastair) personally without knowing you. And when I look back at some of the things I tweeted about you I know you’re not on social media, but I did go over the top.

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“So, I will take this opportunity. I’m sorry for the 38 weasel references.”

While Pietersen’s role with England ended in 2013, Cook went on to represent the side for a further five years. He scored an eye-watering 12,472 test runs and 33 centuries.

He has previously suggested that the fall-out from Pietersen’s England exit was the ‘toughest time’ of his career.

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