The enigma that is Kevin Pietersen

[rich1uk]

If KP was thinking about retiring so early, he should not have signed the contract but he did.

why wouldn't he sign the contract if he was only thinking about it and hadn't actually decided to do it at that point ?

too many people getting too wrapped up about him being on a central contract

isn't andrew strauss on a central contract but has retired from ODIs ?

[Making_Splinters]

If KP was thinking about retiring so early, he should not have signed the contract but he did.

Sorry Hope but just no.

Firstly most players retire mid way through their contracts, are we seriously to assume that Strauss or Colly had not given serious thought to their up coming retirements when they signed their respective contracts?

Secondly the way the Contracts are classified is based on last years matches, so you are actually only paid in full for last years work this year.

The interesting question which seems to have been lost here is; Is this both or none just contractual issue or is it now a formal selection criteria? If it is nothing but contracts then there is no reason KP can't play just T20 when he is downgraded come the fall.

[hopeforthebest]

Sorry but yes. He signed a contract when apparently he had long planned to stop playing ODI games. No excuses.

[Making_Splinters]

Just as almost all other players do.

I am trying to think of players who retired actually after their last contracted game, struggling as of yet.

[rich1uk]

Sorry but yes. He signed a contract when apparently he had long planned to stop playing ODI games. No excuses.

ffs the contract does not say he cant retire during the lifespan of the contract

did you criticise andrew strauss for retiring from ODIs halfway through his central contract last year or is it just because its KP ?

the only issue with the contract is that he assumed he could quit ODIs but continue in t20s which the ECB have said he cant do and if he didn't sign the contract last year he wouldn't have been playing any of them would he

[hopeforthebest]

He had every right to retire if he so wished but no right to expect the ECB to make special concessions for him. Bringing in Collingwood's retirement is laughable, his career was over and all he did was recognize this fact.

[ddb]

He had every right to retire if he so wished but no right to expect the ECB to make special concessions for him. Bringing in Collingwood's retirement is laughable, his career was over and all he did was recognize this fact.

But the ECB made a special clause for him...ECB's schedule is so packed to make money...KP goes IPL, he's bad for wanting money...

Neither side is blameless.

[rich1uk]

He had every right to retire if he so wished but no right to expect the ECB to make special concessions for him. Bringing in Collingwood's retirement is laughable, his career was over and all he did was recognize this fact.

so why did collingwood sign a 12 month central contract 3 months before he retired if he knew his career was over ?

that question makes as much sense as you suggesting KP shouldn't have signed his central contract

[hopeforthebest]

5 Jan 2011 – England's Paul Collingwood will retire from Test cricket after the final Ashes Test against Australia in Sydney.

Jon Culley
April 4, 2012
Comments: 28 | Text size: A | A

Paul Collingwood last played for England during the 2011 World Cup © Getty Images
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Paul Collingwood has admitted he wondered if he had the will to continue playing after England effectively ended his international career when they dropped him from their one-day teams last summer, in the process stripping him of the Twenty20 captaincy.

"It came right out of the blue," Collingwood said. "There had been no inkling, so when Geoff Miller came to see me to tell me what had been decided I felt it was very, very harsh. It took me a while to get my head around it. You look at all the options and there was a point when I had to ask myself if I wanted to carry on."
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Not remotely similar to KP's situation.

[Kim]

Kp loses 167,000 for every week he doesnt play in the IPL.

He'll be delighted to be limited to the usual 3 weeks so he can get home to play NZ next summer.

[Kim]

Sorry but yes. He signed a contract when apparently he had long planned to stop playing ODI games. No excuses.

No excuses maybe but he didnt really have a choice but to sign the contract did he? Hed have lost a fortune and still be subject to the ECBs control. My guess is when he signed it, he wouldnt have dreamt that the ECB would be so hardline about it

[hopeforthebest]

I love watching KP bat but I'm so glad he's not my next door neighbour.

[Kim]

The cash tills ringing all night would be a pain for sure

[sussexpob]

The interesting question which seems to have been lost here is; Is this both or none just contractual issue or is it now a formal selection criteria? If it is nothing but contracts then there is no reason KP can't play just T20 when he is downgraded come the fall.

According to Andy Flowers word it sounds like its a selection policy and not a contractual issue. The way the central contracts use to work,not sure now, is that players would be graded on their expected usage, and then paid a wage according to the grading.... with development and limited overs players getting a lower cut, and full 3 format players getting everything.

My pennies worth.... a player has every right to retire regardless of what he signs before.... its his body, and if the stress of cricket becomes too much then so be it. I also dont begrudge a player like Pietersen chasing IPL money in the latter stages (plus 30 now isnt he?) of his career because an injury or bad form can strip a career in a heartbeat, and even if not, a player can only make money till 35 ish realistically anyway, after which a small county wage can last until your worth it..... players in Cricket dont earn a great deal compared to footballers, and they could live 30 years without their professional career! I dont see it as greedy!

On the selection policy issue, you pick your best team regardless of past loyalty issues.... if you tell me KP isnt our best or second best ODI and T20 batsman then I can provide you with a list of professional help you need to seek.

As for the U-turn, again a player can change his mind after a bit of a rest, and also if rest is an issue then the ECB need to monitor players fitness and motivation levels.... if KP wants to pick when he plays but that gets the best out of him, so be it. Limiting your assets to get performance out of them is key.

I mean, KP had lean patches in his career, maybe this he come about from too much cricket and motivational burn out! I mean I find it hard to believe a guy struggles against mediocre spinners, when in fact at his best he had made Warne and Murali look like chumps (Egbaston 06, Oval 05 are too examples I could give...if you can smash warne out the ground 3 times in an over, and swtich hit murali into the stands, then Abdl Razzaq on a dead BD pitch should be nothing to you!!)...

I fall with KP on this one. I know he is an arsehole but he is too good to ignore.

And is a rotation policy that bad? Do we need to play a full squad in BD after a hard test series in searing heat? Could we not blood youngsters in lesser games? I know there is a n integrity of the game issue there, but in all honesty the ICC and ECB schedules and cricket overload has done that already!!

[sussexpob]

Additionally, I do find it hard to understand why Flower would make statements about being constantly available for England and not having players pick and chose, but didnt he rest a fully fit and raring to go Jimmy Anderson in a dead rubber test recently? Would seem like double standards a little!

If England's management can acknowledge and utilise the depths of a squad and highlight the importance of future matches by resting key players for those matches, why shouldnt a player also be able to highlight his fatigue levels and ask to sit out a few matches?