Former England cricket captain and batting great Kevin Pieterson came down heavily on London Mayor Sadiq Khan on Thursday and voiced concern over the prevailing law and order situation in the metropolis in light of a stabbing incident in a train.
In a purported video clip of the incident that went viral, a man was seen unleashing a brutal knife attack on a fellow passenger and stabbing him repeatedly inside a train.
According to media reports, the incident took place on a train near east London in ‘broad daylight’ on Wednesday.
Reacting to the purported viral video of the stabbing incident inside the train, the former English cricketer said the “most amazing city” has turned into an “absolute disgrace of a place”.
“WTAF is this now in London?!?!?! London was once the most amazing city. It’s an absolute disgrace of a place. You cannot wear a watch of any value. You cannot walk around with your phone in your hand. Women get their bags and jewellery ripped off them. Cars get smashed in for a quick smash-and-grab. There’s this rubbing in the video below. @SadiqKhan must be really proud of what he’s created?!” Pieterson posted from his X handle.
Taking a further swipe at Khan, the former cricketer invoked one of his recent social media posts where he promised to deploy more police officers on the streets of London if elected mayor for a third term.
“As Mayor I’ve already doubled investment in policing and crime prevention. If I’m re-elected, a return to proper neighbourhood policing would be at the heart of my third term. Keeping Londoners safe is my number one priority,” the post read.
To this, Pieterson posted, “This bloke has been in charge for years now and all of this London nonsense has been on HIS clock. Blame everyone else, @SadiqKhan – we all know what the greatest leaders DON’T do.”
A Pakistan-origin British politician who rose from humble origins to be elected London mayor, Khan is a member of the Labour Party. He has been the mayor of London since 2016.
The next mayoral polls are scheduled for May 2 this year.
Arguably, one of the greatest willow-wielders in the history of cricket, Pieterson represented England in all three formats of the game between 2005 and 2014. (ANI)