The enigma that is Kevin Pietersen

[rich1uk]

not blaming the ECB really , the schedule and volume of cricket that is being played at international level is an issue for everyone

i just found it a bit strange that after so many comments the last few years about being worried about the impact on the players that played all three formats that the guy who has played most international cricket for england over the last 8 years is the one they took the hard line with

[hopeforthebest]

The fact that KP announced his retirement so soon after the ECB fined him for tweeting against the SKy commentator Nick Knight, suggests this was a hasty decision made in a fit of pique. Of course he was thinking about it earlier but I suspect a more sensible arrangement might have been arrived at whereby he would have been rested from ODI games, played in the T20 and retired after the T20 WC.

[rich1uk]

his relationship with the ECB obviously didn't help , but it takes two to tango

i get the impression the ECB were being just as stubborn as he was

[shankycricket]

I suspect a more sensible arrangement might have been arrived at whereby he would have been rested from ODI games, played in the T20 and retired after the T20 WC.

[Making_Splinters]

Can't really see the ECB agreeing to "rest" a player all summer simply so they can play in the T20 World Cup before retiring and quite rightly so.

I may not agree with our current set of selection rules but I'd rather see them adhered to than for contrived exceptions be made for a single player.

[rich1uk]

Can't really see the ECB agreeing to "rest" a player all summer simply so they can play in the T20 World Cup before retiring and quite rightly so.

I may not agree with our current set of selection rules but I'd rather see them adhered to than for contrived exceptions be made for a single player.

you mean like allowing the captain to miss a whole away series including tests and ODIs ?

[Making_Splinters]

Can't really see the ECB agreeing to "rest" a player all summer simply so they can play in the T20 World Cup before retiring and quite rightly so.

I may not agree with our current set of selection rules but I'd rather see them adhered to than for contrived exceptions be made for a single player.

you mean like allowing the captain to miss a whole away series including tests and ODIs ?

As I have said previously exceptions have been made for individual players before, doesn't mean I agree that that should be the way buisness is done. We could of course also point to the ECB essentially allowing Strauss to retire from T20 with out saying anything.

Also the Bangladesh series was slightly different as it was just a single tour, the suggestion I wa replying to seemed to be that KP would retire from ODIs but it would be called rest till the World Cup.

[rich1uk]

which was all i was saying , they HAVE made exceptions in the past but i doubt that either the relationship KP has with the ECB or the way KP probably handled himself in the discussions made it likely that the ECB would make an exception in this case

[Kim]

The net result is absurd though. Id bet he would have relished the ODIs v South africa and he was going to be rested in the WI series so hes missing the t20 World cup because hes swapped 5 t20s for Surrey for some ODIs v Aussies.

[Making_Splinters]

I agree Rich that it's been done to a certain degree in the past though I don't really think that one can be used as a precedent for the other, I'd far rather see the entire rule removed or at least being followed to the letter than I would having individual players being allowed to choose their own situation.

It's all part of a bigger issue including the ECBs rotation plans which are almost entirely determinant on series results going our way. I've said before that I welcome playing more ODIs to build up skills within the squad as a whole but that has to be married to a well thought out and fixed plan for player rotation which is sadly lacking at present.

[hopeforthebest]

Making_Splinters

If you are comparing Strauss retiring with the retirement of Pietersen, then the two are not the same. Strauss retired in may last year at the age of 34 to prolong his test career.

[Making_Splinters]

No, he retired from T20 cricket in 2009 when he was the same age as KP is now and of course played on in ODIs for another couple of years.

[hopeforthebest]

No, he retired from T20 cricket in 2009 when he was the same age as KP is now and of course played on in ODIs for another couple of years.

Considering Strauss only played four T20 games for England, it seems more likely that he was retired by the selectors.

[andy]

the difference between the strauss issue and the KP issue is that, Strauss wasnt really required or wanted in t20, KP is....strauss could get away with it, as he wasnt cruical to the t20 side, KP is, which in some way makes it more crazy.

[Making_Splinters]

Considering that he played his last T20 in the West Indies series when he'd just taken over as captain of England and he made 20 odd off 20 odd that doesn't stack up.

What actually happened is Strauss turned round and said don't pick me, he then simply stopped playing T20 at any level to make himself unselectable for England and no one said anything.