IPL Spoilt Kevin Pietersen, says Former England Skipper Nasser Hussain

Former captain Nasser Hussain said the hugely successful Indian Premier League seemed to make the controversial former England batsman Kevin Pietersen believe he was bigger than the game. Pietersen, who was sensationally sacked after Australia crushed England 5-0 in the Ashes Down Under, has taken the cricketing world by storm with his book, "KP: The Autobiography". (KP, the Misunderstood Maverick)

Pietersen has hit out at current England skipper Alastair Cook and branded former team boss Andy Flower "Mood Hoover". Pietersen said Flower "could suck all the joy out of any room he walked into." (Vaughan Slams ECB Charges Against Pietersen)

The South Africa-born Pietersen, England's most successful ever, has had several fallouts with former skipper Andrew Strauss and the England and Wales Cricket Board in the past. Given his exceptional record and match-winning capabilities, Pietersen was "reintegrated" for the India tour, where his hundred in Mumbai changed the course of the series and paved the way for a historic Test series win for England. (Kevin Pietersen Slams 'Bullying' Culture)

However, his differences with the rest of the side and especially Cook continued to grow and they reportedly went out of hand in Australia last summer. (Read: Ponting backs Pietersen's claims)

Many believe Pietersen was poorly managed by a team-management too bent on sticking to policies that saw them win three Ashes, stun India at home and reach the top of the Test rankings. (Also read: Pietersen allegations saga rocks English cricket)

However, Hussain, who himself admitted to captaining a few egoistic players in his time, said Flower would have managed Pietersen well enough for five years as he kept churning one match-winning knock after the other, before the Indian Premier League exploded with its riches.

"Where everything clearly changed is with the advent of the Indian Premier League. It seemed to make Pietersen believe he was bigger than the team, and perhaps other players became jealous of the money he was making. The dynamics of one of the most successful of all England teams clearly changed.," Hussain wrote in his column for the Daily Mail.

"Flower had tired of repeatedly trying to manage Pietersen. When results started going against England and their star batsman was not quite looking like the player he once was, England decided enough was enough. As I have said, there are some valid points here but nearly everyone who has tried to manage him has found him incredibly hard work. Everybody can't be wrong," Hussain wrote.

Hussain, now one of the most-outspoken commentators in the world, said he hoped for Pietersen to one day stop blaming everyone else and see if he himself was at fault.

"So maybe one day Kevin Pietersen might take a look at himself rather than blaming everyone else for the way he has been treated by England. He might have to look back and say: 'Was it me'?"