The enigma that is Kevin Pietersen

[Gingerfinch]

Tbf if one goes on like this there won't be a single player left in the team. Just sort out whatever differences you have in a team meeting and play the best team.

So, text away and call the captain whatever you like??

Mmm, not sure that will go down well.

Do you know what he said?

Nope, just guessing. It was obviously not nice or complimentary though.

So, keep on texting hey?

Sure, why not? If you can write it in a book and get away with it, and make money out of it, why not have some fun over SMS's?

Two wrong's and all that.

[shankycricket]

And if Strauss is the person with whom KP is having a rift and only one of them can play, then I know who I'd rather have.

Strauss?

Well, I dont think he should be in the team anyway regardless of the KP issue. So its not hard to guess.

Two wrong's and all that.

Really dont see what he did as "wrong" tbh.

[greyblazer]

Tbf if one goes on like this there won't be a single player left in the team. Just sort out whatever differences you have in a team meeting and play the best team.

So, text away and call the captain whatever you like??

Mmm, not sure that will go down well.

Do you know what he said?

Nope, just guessing. It was obviously not nice or complimentary though.

So, keep on texting hey?

Sure, why not? If you can write it in a book and get away with it, and make money out of it, why not have some fun over SMS's?

Making money by slagging off your own teammates in public. Why don't ECB hack everyone's cell to see what they text

[meninblue]

What I would like to understand from people who think it was right for KP to be dropped to ensure team unity etc, do you think Swanns comments in his bio were justified? Should he have been dropped too?

Maybe Yes, if he too has not followed team ethics.

But unlike Swann, KP had many issues. First with Moores, then with IPL contract, now with Flower and Strauss.

He used retirement from short format as gamble. When it foiled he did an Afridi. Then he sends sms during important series revealing the rifts within team to his opponents in middle of important tour. It's just not about one issue.

For the Moores saga, he was penalised, his captaincy stripped
I dont see any issues with IPL contract, his retirement and current issues with Flower and Strauss(allegedly)
He wants something, so he asked. They could have said no and ended it there.

Only issue is his texting about Flower and Strauss, which is something which Swann did in his book but got away scott free.
Which smacks of double standards to me.

KP had issues with Flower and Strauss from what is being written. I think the "SMS" should be disclosed/leaked publicly at end of this tour and light should be thrown on this. This is not the correct moment to disclose those "SMS's". But they might not, until KP goes to court and says the "SMS" thing is fake.

Those who feel that team ethics are more important than statistics will not mind to see KP being punished. Those who feel that statistics are more important than team ethics will want KP to be given license for such things. It's about how we think whether we are accepting or not accepting ECB's decision.

They made mistake with Swann, but that would not mean they should do another mistake after few years. Also, if this was once in blue moon issue he would have not been dropped. overall , i think he didn't help his case for the past (Moores), Present(Retirement tactics/Andy/Strauss/other players/ECB) and future (IPL and summer tests clashing)

[Robert]

And if Strauss is the person with whom KP is having a rift and only one of them can play, then I know who I'd rather have.

One is as solid as a rock, the other is a chronic narcissist with an obvious history of trouble in team environments - no real debate for me!

[Gingerfinch]

And if Strauss is the person with whom KP is having a rift and only one of them can play, then I know who I'd rather have.

Strauss?

Well, I dont think he should be in the team anyway regardless of the KP issue. So its not hard to guess.

Two wrong's and all that.

Really dont see what he did as "wrong" tbh.

You don't see what KP has done wrong? Odd, anyway, you said earlier he wasn't blameless???

[greyblazer]

And if Strauss is the person with whom KP is having a rift and only one of them can play, then I know who I'd rather have.

One is as solid as a rock, the other is a chronic narcissist with an obvious history of trouble in team environments - no real debate for me!

The only work Strauss does as a captain is rotate the bowlers after 5 overs with a spinner at other end. Cook can do that job and take care of unity and all.Most of KP's hundreds have taken England out of the doldrums to a victory. There is no need for even a debate on this.

[meninblue]

I don't buy the team unity thing.

Andy Cole & Teddy Sheringham didn't like each other at Man Utd. They still won loads of silverware. I have found that even in normal employment there will always be someone who doesn't get along with another, but as long as it doesn't get personal, there's no reason why they can't work in the same workplace in a professional manner.

If a manager is prepared to handle "awkward" team members, then fine. But he is under no obligation to do so - if he wants to rid himself of the distraction, then that is his right.

It is, but KP is a box office draw. One of our top players (who else can boast three test double centuries?). A case of cutting off the nose to spite the face.

Cook IMO

The paying public prefer watching KP over Cook any day.

I think the attendance for test matches would not change much if KP is not playing. There are enough Cook, Strauss, Trott, bell, Jimmy, Swann, Prior, Finn, etc fans to keep the tickets selling.

[mikesiva]

Ah, the hazards of staging a series when the IPL is going on....

The WICB learnt the hard way to accommodate the plans of Chris Gayle, Sunil Narine and Marlon Samuels to play in the IPL, instead of creating confrontations they couldn't win. New Zealand will also allow any player who wants to play in the IPL instead of touring England in early May to do so next year, much as the Windies did this year.

So, they've learnt not to fight against the IPL, and pretend that it doesn't exist. So have the Sri Lankans....

It's just England who persist in fighting this battle now. Kevin Pietersen is the first casualty, and he won't be the last. No matter what anyone says, KP's absence will felt, so the IPL has already won its clash of fixtures with England in May, as far as KP's career is concerned. It's the IPL's gain and England's loss....

[shankycricket]

And if Strauss is the person with whom KP is having a rift and only one of them can play, then I know who I'd rather have.

Strauss?

Well, I dont think he should be in the team anyway regardless of the KP issue. So its not hard to guess.

Two wrong's and all that.

Really dont see what he did as "wrong" tbh.

You don't see what KP has done wrong? Odd, anyway, you said earlier he wasn't blameless???

About the text? I dont see whats wrong.

[Robert]

And if Strauss is the person with whom KP is having a rift and only one of them can play, then I know who I'd rather have.

One is as solid as a rock, the other is a chronic narcissist with an obvious history of trouble in team environments - no real debate for me!

The only work Strauss does as a captain is rotate the bowlers after 5 overs with a spinner at other end. Cook can do that job and take care of unity and all.Most of KP's hundreds have taken England out of the doldrums to a victory. There is no need for even a debate on this.

It doesn't matter who the captain (or coach for that matter!) is - eventually Pietersen will cause "problems"!

[hopeforthebest]

Swann put everything in his book in the public domain. All Pietersen has to do is put his text messages in the public domain for this to be settled.
Swann invented the "sprinkler" or least bought it to prominance, Pietersen has moaned, groaned and whinged away ever since he lost the captaincy and Andy Flower became coach.

[greyblazer]

And if Strauss is the person with whom KP is having a rift and only one of them can play, then I know who I'd rather have.

One is as solid as a rock, the other is a chronic narcissist with an obvious history of trouble in team environments - no real debate for me!

The only work Strauss does as a captain is rotate the bowlers after 5 overs with a spinner at other end. Cook can do that job and take care of unity and all.Most of KP's hundreds have taken England out of the doldrums to a victory. There is no need for even a debate on this.

It doesn't matter who the captain (or coach for that matter!) is - eventually Pietersen will cause "problems"!

He will cause problems with the bat for the opposition.

[shankycricket]

Ah, the hazards of staging a series when the IPL is going on....

The WICB learnt the hard way to accommodate the plans of Chris Gayle, Sunil Narine and Marlon Samuels to play in the IPL, instead of creating confrontations they couldn't win. New Zealand will also allow any player who wants to play in the IPL instead of touring England in early May to do so next year, much as the Windies did this year.

So, they've learnt not to fight against the IPL, and pretend that it doesn't exist. So have the Sri Lankans....

It's just England who persist in fighting this battle now. Kevin Pietersen is the first casualty, and he won't be the last. No matter what anyone says, KP's absence will felt, so the IPL has already won its clash of fixtures with England in May, as far as KP's career is concerned. It's the IPL's gain and England's loss....

Sorry Mike, this has got nothing to do with the IPL. The guy has retracted his IPL demands. He has been dropped because of a text message.

[#Brown]

It's a very farcical situation.

The point is not purely about the specifics of what he's done wrong, the point is the effect it's having on the team. Of course you'll get differences in the dressing room but when one bloke is seen to be acting like a narcissistic brainless plonker, however justified by immense talent, and causing a rift between himself the rest then you have a serious issue. Especially when it's causing a huge distraction in the middle of a very important test series.

As daft as it sounds, the difference with Swann's case is simply that I don't imagine what he said caused as big a fuss within the overall team, after all he's a pretty popular guy, and most probably agreed with him on the kp issue. Contentious point and I know most will disagree with this statement but I think that's the heart of it.