Anyone for cricket?

[marinyork]

Hmmm, thought this was going to be a discussion about the amazing test series between Aus and S Africa!

 

[yello]

Got to admit, there was something about KP that I never warmed to. It doesn't surprise me in the slightest that he'd get up the noses of some. Maybe it's part of the self belief that some seem to need to be successful but it rarely goes down well in a man management role. Shame, for me, is that the England team is/was starting to deliver again (in patches). I could see them taking the Ashes... it seems like yet another wobble.

 

[mangaman]

Agree KP should never have got the job

Now that Stauss is playing well he should get in. He was a good captain I think
Only captained 5 times but won 2 and drew 3

 

[Aperitif]

Well I don't like to say but me and CofG both lamented Pietersen geting the job in the first place. He didn't look like captain material in man-mangement terms. I don't think he thinks much further than his ego IMHO. I suspect he'll take the Indian rupee of the IPL pretty sharpish now.

Yep. Once he has had another wedge from Hello/OK/Brai Weekly etc about how he and his auto-tuned wife are surviving following the gross and injust persecution from the great british establishment that is the egg and tomato club of England and St George...

Selfish tosser.

<sorry - getting carried away...>

 

[LondonCommuter]

I think this is all grossly unfair on KP. He might be irritating and arrogant but he has the ability to become the world's best batsman and is the only member of the England team who is consistently world class. (Flintoff is good but not great and its hardly fair to say that KP didn't bring the best out of him and Flintoff's batting has been better under KP than at any time since 2005).

I think the blame should fall squarely on ECB management. They picked Moores without any sort of process. They knew what they were doing when they picked up Pietersen over Strauss (who I think was treated awfully by the ECB before and I genuinely hope does a good job now) and should have been prepared to give KP more of a go on his own terms. KP's not handled the last few days well but its clear that he's not the only one who's been conducting his battle through the media and he handled the whole situation in India very well

 

[rich p]

I think this is all grossly unfair on KP. He might be irritating and arrogant but he has the ability to become the world's best batsman and is the only member of the England team who is consistently world class. (Flintoff is good but not great and its hardly fair to say that KP didn't bring the best out of him and Flintoff's batting has been better under KP than at any time since 2005).

I think the blame should fall squarely on ECB management. They picked Moores without any sort of process. They knew what they were doing when they picked up Pietersen over Strauss (who I think was treated awfully by the ECB before and I genuinely hope does a good job now) and should have been prepared to give KP more of a go on his own terms. KP's not handled the last few days well but its clear that he's not the only one who's been conducting his battle through the media and he handled the whole situation in India very well

Nobody is disputing that he's a fine batsman. Botham was a world class player but terrible captain. So too Boycott. Being a very good player is not a qualification for captaincy. Look at Mike Brearley if you want an example of a great captain and average player.

Who else has conducted this battle in the media? Not Peter Moores and not the ECB as far as I can see. Pietersen gambled on being bigger than the system due to his status (as you rightly say of being the only world class player) but it has backfired. It'll cost him what grass root support he had which was not a lot. At least he might stop kissing the 3 Lions badge now.

 

[LondonCommuter]

Rich p - but who picked him as captain? They can't argue that he has turned out to be more of a prima donna than expected. I would argue that he has been less so and that the Indian episode and his general conduct (excepting the last few days) has been above expectations.

 

[dellzeqq]

I think we're snatching disaster from the jaws of defeat!

 

[rich p]

Rich p - but who picked him as captain? They can't argue that he has turned out to be more of a prima donna than expected. I would argue that he has been less so and that the Indian episode and his general conduct (excepting the last few days) has been above expectations.

Yes, I agree the ECB are guilty of selecting him but he wasn't totally useless at it. In fact I thought he was on a decent learning curve. The long and the short of it was that if he hadn't decided to try arm wrestling the ECB and Moores via the press he would have avoided all this and captained England in The Ashes. Results (or the lack of them in the Windies or the summer) would have got rid of PM in the end anyway. He was already on thin ice but KP seriously overplayed his hand. South African arrogance? Sorry, racial stereotyping!
It still rankles with me that we selected Allan Lamb, Graham Hick, Tony Greig and Andy Caddick!

 

[dellzeqq]

It still rankles with me that we selected Allan Lamb, Graham Hick, Tony Greig and Andy Caddick!

You're forgetting Graham Hick!

(or perhaps you were simply attempting to forget....)

Basil d'Oliviera was a credit to us, though.

 

[rich p]

You're forgetting Graham Hick!

(or perhaps you were simply attempting to forget....)

Basil d'Oliviera was a credit to us, though.

He was second on my list!

 

[Wolf04]

England 2nd innings against Windies 50 for 8 and Andrew Flintoff is 24 not out!!!!!! I wonder if someone has a large wager. 51 for 9 Flintoff out, bugger!!!!!

 

[Wolf04]

All out 51. Windies win by an innings and 23 runs. I must have really messed up in a previous life to be an England cricket fan and a Newcastle United supporter. Can English cricket plunge any lower?