When ECB's new director of cricket Andrew Strauss decided Kevin Pietersen had no role to play in England's immediate future, chief of them being the Ashes series against Australia at home, plenty of eyebrows were raised.
After all, Pietersen has been that one world-class batsmen with the capacity to destroy any attack in any format for England, and, just when everyone thought the olive branch was going to come out, controversy struck again, with the South Africa-born batsman then accusing the board of sending him mixed signals.
However, England, sans Pietersen, went on to play some good cricket against Australia, with both their batsmen and bowlers coming to the fore when needed to clinch the Ashes in emphatic style.
Following that result, Pietersen, himself, feels the decision taken by Strauss to keep him out of the team was probably the right one.
"Absolutely, it seems to be the right decision at the moment and good luck to him," Pietersen said at a Sports Industry Breakfast Club meeting, when asked about Strauss' decision with the benefit of hindsight.
"He's done OK. Some of the stuff he has done with the England team and with getting past players back in the dressing room is brilliant.
"I didn't find it hard [to watch] at all. I love seeing England win. I have some real close buddies in that side and seeing them do the business was something that made me happy. Seeing those guys play so well and just seeing the structure and the way it has developed makes me so happy."
So, then does Pietersen envisage ever getting back into the England team, or is that team door now, well and truly, closed? "If it is, it is," Pietersen, who has scored 8181 runs in 104 Test matches, at an average of 47.28, added. "I'm not sitting here worrying about what has happened. I'm living my life."
That life now encompasses playing plenty of T20 cricket, with Pietersen a part of quite a few tournaments around the world, including the IPL, Big Bash and CPL. Pietersen will now take guard in the inaugural Pakistan Super League as well.
While he might have a special liking to the T20 game, the format which has brought in droves of new fans to the sport of cricket, Pietersen still believes Test match cricket remains and should remain the pinnacle.
"Twenty20 is going to stay for sure, because that form of the game brings a whole different audience," Pietersen said.
"I love Test cricket and I think we owe it to the great game, which is Test cricket, to speak positively about it.
"Test cricketers should get paid more, they need to know they are being looked after. With the lures of franchise cricket, we need to protect the game. Test matches should be the pinnacle.
"I don't want to sit on this stage and say Test cricket is dead."
