The enigma that is Kevin Pietersen

[shankycricket]

And I thought people would acknowledge the difference between playing County cricket in English conditions and Test cricket in the subcontinent.

Players have got to start somewhere, it's not as if they are elevated to the test arena out of nowhere. Joe Root had a very good tour of the sub-continent with England Lions, that's why he's on the plane to India.

Besides not all county cricket games are played under leadened skies and green tops, some grounds do have sub-continent style wickets and sometimes the weather to go with it.

Weren't you saying a few days ago that its too soon for him?

[Alviro Patterson]

And I thought people would acknowledge the difference between playing County cricket in English conditions and Test cricket in the subcontinent.

Players have got to start somewhere, it's not as if they are elevated to the test arena out of nowhere. Joe Root had a very good tour of the sub-continent with England Lions, that's why he's on the plane to India.

Besides not all county cricket games are played under leadened skies and green tops, some grounds do have sub-continent style wickets and sometimes the weather to go with it.

Weren't you saying a few days ago that its too soon for him?

That's my opinion, not that of the Evil Cricket Broad.

[Alviro Patterson]

I think KP should slaughter his first born to show his loyalty to English cricket personally. If he wants to play, it's only reasonable that he shows some such strong indication.

Shanky, shouldn't you be now firmly supporting any and all messures to keep KP out of the team?

Or, is this some huge reverse psychology road trip you're cleverly disguising?

Not really. I'd like to see India the beat the best possible England team.

You can take a lad out of England, but you can't take England out of a lad.

[Arthur Crabtree]

I have concerns. Root and Compton are blondish. England haven't had a good blond batter since Gower. Though Flintoff was an excellent ODI batter. Also Compton's face is too round. Round faced batters rarely do well at international level. At least Root has an angular face. i say give him first shot.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Welcome back Shanks!

[shankycricket]

Welcome back Shanks!

[Arthur Crabtree]

That's my opinion, not that of the Evil Cricket Broad.

Not just Broad, Al. Swann, Anderson, Bresnan...

[Alviro Patterson]

That's my opinion, not that of the Evil Cricket Broad.

Not just Broad, Al. Swann, Anderson, Bresnan...

That was a genuine spelling error

[Arthur Crabtree]

I thought at last we'd reached common ground!

[D/L]

It’s hugely amusing to see opinions on the level of contrition Pietersen is being asked to show from people who can have no real idea of the nature of his offence.

No doubt, he’ll be back and possibly in India but, like AP, I think it would be better to lose without him, if that’s what it takes to keep someone out of the team who sneakily bad-mouths his colleagues to the opposition.

[hopeforthebest]

Isn't this just England crickets version of the ' Parable of the Prodigal Son'.

[D/L]

Isn't this just England crickets version of the ' Parable of the Prodigal Son'.

In terms of farce, more like “The Return of the Pink Panther”.

[mikesiva]

It’s hugely amusing to see opinions on the level of contrition Pietersen is being asked to show from people who can have no real idea of the nature of his offence.

No doubt, he’ll be back and possibly in India but, like AP, I think it would be better to lose without him, if that’s what it takes to keep someone out of the team who sneakily bad-mouths his colleagues to the opposition.

I think the ECB realise that they would lose in court if KP sued them, and that's a loss they don't particularly want to endure....

They're learning from the errors of the WICB.

[D/L]

That’s interesting, Mike. What grounds do you think Pietersen would have to sue the ECB?

[Making_Splinters]

It’s hugely amusing to see opinions on the level of contrition Pietersen is being asked to show from people who can have no real idea of the nature of his offence.

Indeed, which quite equally applies to both people who think he should and should not come back.

Of course if the people who are in the best position to say whether he should be back in the team or not make a decision then everyone will be happy to accept their decision.