'He’s Talking Nonsense' – Michael Vaughan slams compatriot Kevin Pietersen in heated debate over modern Test cricket

Former England captains Michael Vaughan and Kevin Pietersen are at loggerheads over whether Test cricket has become easier in the modern era. The debate began after Kevin Pietersen claimed that batting in Test cricket was far more difficult 20–25 years ago than it is now. According to him, the level of bowling during his time made scoring runs significantly harder.

Taking to X (formerly Twitter), the 45-year-old backed his argument by listing 22 legendary bowlers from that era and challenged fans to name 10 current bowlers who could match their caliber. “Waqar [Younis], Shoaib [Akhtar], [Wasim] Akram, [Saqlain] Mushtaq, [Anil] Kumble, [Javagal] Srinath, Harbhajan [Singh], [Allan] Donald, [Shaun] Pollock, [Lance] Klusener, [Darren] Gough, [Glenn] McGrath, [Brett] Lee, [Shane] Warne, [Jason] Gillespie, [Shane] Bond, [Daniel] Vettori, [Chris] Cairns, Chaminda Vaas, Muttiah Murali[tharan], Curtley [Ambrose], Courtney [Walsh] and the list could go on and on… I’ve named 22 above. Please name me 10 modern-day bowlers that can compare to the names above.” Pietersen wrote.

However, Michael Vaughan hit back strongly and dismissed Pietersen’s comments during a live show on Sony Sports Network. Vaughan said, “I think he’s talking nonsense.” He argued that Test cricket remains extremely challenging and that the quality of bowling in the current era is on par with any previous generation. Vaughan highlighted today’s elite bowling units, particularly praising India’s Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj, along with Australia’s renowned trio of Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, and Josh Hazlewood.

Vaughan Defends Modern Bowlers, Calls Test Cricket Competitive

Vaughan didn’t stop there. He also lauded South Africa’s Kagiso Rabada and Marco Jansen and New Zealand’s Tim Southee and Trent Boult. “You look at the Indian seamers now; they are as good as they ever were. You look at the Australian attack; that trio that Australia had is as good as they have had. You go to South Africa, Rabada and Jansen. You go to New Zealand, Boult, Southee,” he said.

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Vaughan stressed that Test cricket has remained exciting and competitive in recent years. He also noted that modern batters play with more aggression and bravery. “I’ve loved the last few years of Test match cricket because it has been competitive. I don’t think it has been any easier than any other era. You still have to score runs. Irrespective of the bowling you are facing, you still have to go get the runs.” He concluded, “Don’t take anything away from the current players. Look at the way they have batted. They have batted with a lot more aggression than earlier times, maybe not during Kevin Pietersen’s time.”