Dropped England batsman Kevin Pietersen.
Photo: Australian News Channel Pty Ltd
The specific nature of text messages England batsman Kevin Pietersen sent to South African opponents about his skipper Andrew Strauss has been exposed by a British newspaper.
It was reported in The Mail on Sunday that Pietersen labelled Strauss a "doos", a word in Afrikaans which means "idiot", and can even mean "c...".
According to a report in The Sunday Times, Pietersen advised the South Africans to unsettle Strauss by bowling at him from around the wicket.
The messages were sent while the second Test between England and South Africa was in progress at Headingley.
The 32-year-old, who was born in South Africa, was left out of England's team for the Lord's third Test once news of the text messages was made public.
Pietersen was sorry for sending the messages, saying they were harmless "banter".
He is unlikely to play for England again as a result.