Kevin Pietersen: good or no good?

[Seecider]

When do we next go down under to play the convicts. They would love it if we left KP behind. That says it all. The Aussies know that he is the one batsman we have who could destroy them and alter the course of a game in a session. But we do need him to get his head sorted next summer.

 

[Uncle Buck]

To be fair, Wright is only talked about as a test player because of a lack of options on this tour. The team almost picks itself at the moment, and before Durban it was looking like Bell had played himself out of the side (and perhaps Cook).

I still think that while we lack depth in our bowling attack, Wright remains a useful player to have on tour.

However the reality is, if England want to play 5 bowlers (which long term they will need to), I suspect Wright is not the solution. Broad's average is around the same as Flintoff's, as is Swann's, so each of them move one spot up the order and probably Plunkett comes in at 9.

England do need to find a real quickie before next winter, not sure this current attack is going to do that much damage at Perth, Brisbane and Adelaide.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

Probably just give Harmison another final chance...

 

[Uncle Buck]

Probably just give Harmison another final chance...

I am pretty sure he has said he will not go on the Ashes tour.

What happens if Flintoff plays a few 4 day games for Lancashire and his fitness holds up? Do Flower and Strauss try and convince him to have one more Ashes series?

 

[Cheeky Monkey]

Oh well here goes (again) - Pietersen playing for England is as valid as Zola Budd running for England, basically an absolute joke.

 

[Chesney Christ]

This thread is full of idiots. He has comfortably the best average of any player in the current England side. Why on earth would you drop him?

 

[Billy the Fish]

England do need to find a real quickie before next winter, not sure this current attack is going to do that much damage at Perth, Brisbane and Adelaide.

That will always be our problem in trying to retain the ashes is that we just don't have any all out quick bowlers. We will always rely on swing too much.

 

[Gerbil]

What happens if Flintoff plays a few 4 day games for Lancashire and his fitness holds up? Do Flower and Strauss try and convince him to have one more Ashes series?

Yes yes they do!!

 

[hans kraay fan club]

I am pretty sure he has said he will not go on the Ashes tour.

What happens if Flintoff plays a few 4 day games for Lancashire and his fitness holds up? Do Flower and Strauss try and convince him to have one more Ashes series?

I hope not, for his sake as much as ours.

This thread is full of idiots. He has comfortably the best average of any player in the current England side. Why on earth would you drop him?

This.

 

[Chesney Christ]

There are some real CRICKTARDS on this board. I can't believe that anyone is considering dropping our best batsman, just because he's out of form, with no adequate replacement.

He's not even that out of form anyway.

His average in this series (31.6) is higher than Prior and Strauss'.

DROP PRIOR AND STRAUSS. DROP PRIOR AND STRAUSS. DROP PRIOR AND STRAUSS.

There's some absolute f***ing FLIDS on this message board........

 

[The Wizard]

Oh well here goes (again) - Pietersen playing for England is as valid as Zola Budd running for England, basically an absolute joke.

Doesn't he have an English mother? what makes him more eligible for the saffers than England?

 

[Chesney Christ]

I hope not, for his sake as much as ours.



This.

EH??

 

[tedebear]

Excellent player in patches, far too much of a head f*** to be consistently good. Thats why Australia fear him, when he's good he's awesome, when he's bad he's very very horrid.

Personally he's a traitor anyhow, can't stand people trading their birthright for personal gain.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

EH??

Sorry - 2 separate answers to two completely different posts.

"I hope not" in response to UB's 'would England try to call up Flintoff?'

And then agreeing with you about the number of idiots at the top of this thread...

 

[Kalimantan Gull]

More to the fuckin point - well done Ian Bell. Three key innings in a row for the much maligned no. 6.

 

[Pavilionaire]

This series is showing that we ARE missing Flintoff's bowling. I'm not convinced Wright has the bowling to become a decent test all-rounder, although he is a useful guy to have on tour.

We've seen enough from Prior, Broad and Swann to know that they're likely to continue to contribute with the bat. A 4 test tour is one thing but it's a hell of an ask for just 4 bowlers to retain the Ashes in Australia.

I don't think Plunkett is the answer. Hopefully someone like Woakes or James Harris will come through next summer.

 

[sten_super]

Bloody hell, I'm sure that there was never anywhere near so much controversy about Graeme Hick playing for England, and he didn't have an English bone in his body. Was it because he didn't sound so foreign?

Kevin Pietersen is half English, so has as much right to play for England as anyone else. Incidentally, did those opposed to him playing for England have the same problem with Andrew Symonds choosing to play for Australia, despite being born to English parents in Birmingham?

Actually, as a matter of interest, does anyone know if there ever was a fuss about him playing for Australia? Or did they just get over it?

 

[tedebear]

Here is my personal reasoning...

Pieterson was raised South African, he learnt his cricket there and merely picked up on his mothers passport when he realized at age 17 he'd personally gain more by playing cricket in England. If he were seriously concerned about the racial quota he'd have stayed and fought it.

Symmonds went to Australia at 3 months or whatever wikipedia said. He was born and raised Australian.

So bad boy I accept, Pieterson I don't. Anyone else?

 

[HarryNT]

Englands best batter by a country mile.

 

[tedebear]

Sorry duplicate - Tiscali is giving me grief....