Overview

• On August 3, Kevin Pietersen wrote on X that Test batting 20–25 years ago was “twice as hard” and challenged followers to name modern equivalents to his list of 22 great bowlers.
• Vaughan called Pietersen’s assertion “nonsense” on Sony Sports Network and argued that Indian and Australian pace attacks today are as formidable as any in the early 2000s.
• He pointed to bowlers such as South Africa’s Kagiso Rabada and Duanne Olivier alongside New Zealand’s Trent Boult and Tim Southee as evidence of recent competitiveness in Test cricket.
• Vaughan emphasized that modern batters still need application and aggression to score, affirming that contemporary centuries retain their value.
• He cited support from statisticians whose data indicate batting has grown tougher since the 2000s, sustaining the era-comparison debate.