KP stirring things up...

[Murray 17]

I'm going to buck the trend and say this guy should be playing. The Aussies or South Africans wouldn't drop him. He needs managing, accepted, but then again Freddie Flintoff said KP would not get into the top 10 of awkward players he has played with.

 

[Papa Lazarou]

I'm going to buck the trend and say this guy should be playing. The Aussies or South Africans wouldn't drop him. He needs managing, accepted, but then again Freddie Flintoff said KP would not get into the top 10 of awkward players he has played with.

One of the reasons KP isn't playing is because Cook isn't a strong leader, if he was (like Michael Vaughan for example) then he would be able to deal with KP and other players with big personalities / egos, but he's not. Strauss was better, but of a similar mould to Cook.

Plus of course, he's been a distrustful arse... which hasn't helped.

 

[Lady Whistledown]

Comes across like a total arse to me. Then again the Australians have had their well documented personnel issues over the years: Shane Watson was disliked by many players (possibly for not being enough of a lairy true Aussie bloke), David Warner has wound even his own team mates up at times, and Michael Clarke isn't universally popular, by all accounts.

KP is nearly 35 now anyway I think. Pipe down, Kev. You're not going to win us the Ashes even if you did get back in. Have a bit of grace and enjoy the beach.

 

[Mackenzie]

Haha how desperate.

 

[El Presidente]

Plus of course, he's been a distrustful arse... which hasn't helped.

Was he a cock for sending a text to a South African player calling Strauss a ****? Yes he was. Strauss did exactly the same thing live on TV and no one seems bothered about it.

But that's all he did, it wasn't tipping off the Saffers how to dismiss AS.

Is he a preening egotist. Yes, but then take a look at the likes of Warne, Lara, Botham and so on.

He didn't get on with everyone in the dressing room, but Sheringham and Yorke didn't speak to each other for two years, and that didn't stop United winning trophies during that period. There's rarely harmony in the dressing room, anyone who has ever played sport has people there they think are minor to major bellends. It's when you deliberately not try when on the park that things become unacceptable IMO.

When he's not feeling sorry for himself, KP's book made some very good points about the (mis) management of cricket by the ECB, the impact of 20/20 and so on. But they weren't the headline subjects on which the press based their views of his book and behaviour.

Remember he was originally dropped after the last Ashes in Australia for 'looking bored in the field' according to Paul Downton, the then head of English cricket, when we were already 4-0 down to the Aussies.

 

[Papa Lazarou]

Was he a cock for sending a text to a South African player calling Strauss a ****? Yes he was. Strauss did exactly the same thing live on TV and no one seems bothered about it.

But that's all he did, it wasn't tipping off the Saffers how to dismiss AS.

Is he a preening egotist. Yes, but then take a look at the likes of Warne, Lara, Botham and so on.

He didn't get on with everyone in the dressing room, but Sheringham and Yorke didn't speak to each other for two years, and that didn't stop United winning trophies during that period. There's rarely harmony in the dressing room, anyone who has ever played sport has people there they think are minor to major bellends. It's when you deliberately not try when on the park that things become unacceptable IMO.

When he's not feeling sorry for himself, KP's book made some very good points about the (mis) management of cricket by the ECB, the impact of 20/20 and so on. But they weren't the headline subjects on which the press based their views of his book and behaviour.

Remember he was originally dropped after the last Ashes in Australia for 'looking bored in the field' according to Paul Downton, the then head of English cricket, when we were already 4-0 down to the Aussies.

Seems bit odd for you to quote the part of my contribution that you seem to disagree with. What's your view on the other thing I posted, about the weak captaincy?

 

[One Teddy Maybank]

Is there really a story there?

Preparing pitches to suit has been part of cricket home field advantage for as long as I can remember and, I'm sure, long before that.

A quick piece on the subject I found in 10 seconds: http://www.espncricinfo.com/blogs/content/story/622470.html

Quite, Australia have been doing it since the 70s.

 

[One Teddy Maybank]

I'm going to buck the trend and say this guy should be playing. The Aussies or South Africans wouldn't drop him. He needs managing, accepted, but then again Freddie Flintoff said KP would not get into the top 10 of awkward players he has played with.

Really? Thought he said the opposite, whilst highlighting his fantastic ability (which I don't think anyone can deny).

 

[El Presidente]

Seems bit odd for you to quote the part of my contribution that you seem to disagree with. What's your view on the other thing I posted, about the weak captaincy?

I agree with you entirely, sorry rushed my initial post!

There's a really good summary (IMO) of Cook here

http://www.thefulltoss.com/england-cricket-blog/the-cult-of-alastair-cook/

http://www.thefulltoss.com/england-cricket-blog/alastair-cook-and-tough-runs/

and KP's book and treatment here

http://www.thefulltoss.com/england-cricket-blog/kevin-pietersen-the-sinner-and-the-sinned-against/

http://www.thefulltoss.com/england-cricket-blog/inside-the-turtle-tank/

 

[El Presidente]

Quite, Australia have been doing it since the 70s.

Surely the issue is that the person in charge of English cricket (Strauss) is saying prepare slow pitches, and the coach of the team is saying another.

“I’m quite happy for the groundsmen to produce the wicket. I’d like to see a typical English seaming wicket against the Australians,” he said. “To take 20 wickets, that would suit our bowlers. The flatter the wicket is and the slower the wicket is, it actually plays in to the Australians’ hands.

 

[dazzer6666]

Really? Thought he said the opposite, whilst highlighting his fantastic ability (which I don't think anyone can deny).

This - I went to Flintoff's tour show last night. Whilst not explicit, there were enough comments to indicate his views of KP

 

[Pavilionaire]

The reason why bringing back KP wouldn't work is that his ego is bigger than ever, probably uncontainable in any test side in the world.

25-year old James Taylor has just hit 291 for Notts in the week that England's batting capitulated, yet there's no acknowledgement from Pietersen that there are candidates other than him worthy of consideration.

If you were Taylor - or, indeed, Eoin Morgan, Alex Hales, Jonny Bairstow - then imagine how you'd feel if the selectors DID actually recall this c**k.

 

[Dick Knights Mumm]

If you were Taylor - or, indeed, Eoin Morgan, Alex Hales, Jonny Bairstow - then imagine how you'd feel if the selectors DID actually recall this c**k.

KP clearly is a c**k but should we worry about those players or the opposition ?

Sometimes it is a useful exercise to ask "what do the opposition not want us to do?".

 

[Ernest]

KP or Bell or Ballance at 3 or 4, KP couldn't do any worse that's for sure

 

[Tricky Dicky]

Surely the issue is that the person in charge of English cricket (Strauss) is saying prepare slow pitches, and the coach of the team is saying another.

And who wants to watch a test match with first innings 600 v 500, I don't for sure. That way would lie the death of test cricket. A fair contest between bat and ball.

 

[fat old seagull]

He should have thought about that before acting a total dick the last few years and losing total trust of the England setup.

How could he have possibly thought about it? He's still acting like a dick now, completely and obliviously unaware that he is talking himself deeper and deeper into a hole.
But that said, it's a sport and a matter of national pride. Warner went into thug mode, and physically attacked an opposing player off the pitch. But the Aussies made damn sure he was in their squad for the Ashes, because they are WINNERS! Whilst England's Public School driven elite like to keep it nice and pally.....which is why we aren't!

 

[Murray 17]

Really? Thought he said the opposite, whilst highlighting his fantastic ability (which I don't think anyone can deny).

He said KP was not in the top 10 difficult players in an interview on Talksport. A bit two-faced of him to go and say the opposite on his roadshow then.

 

[Murray 17]

Sometimes it is a useful exercise to ask "what do the opposition not want us to do?".

Exactly.

If I was an Australian bowler, I could think of many other England batsmen that I'd rather see approaching the crease.

 

[vegster]

Poor Kevin, me me me....its just like the latter stages of Beckham's career...desperate to hang in the media spotlight.

 

[Berty23]

I love how people always cite the sheringham example at Man U. How much time do footballers spend together compared to cricketers. Think about it. Months away in hotels and then sharing dressing room from 9am until 8pm. There would be no escape.