The enigma that is Kevin Pietersen

[D/L]

Yes, there comes a point at which the behaviour of a player, no matter how good he is, should exclude him from selection.

[Making_Splinters]

His comment that his issues in the "dressing room" are more concerning to me. What does that mean and what effect is it having on the other players? This problem with KP should be dealt with immediately, even before the next test. The ECB should take the initiative and not wait for KP to make all the running in the public domain, even if it comes to not selecting him for the last test.

Yes heaven forbid someone should use the ECBs own underhanded tactics back at them.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Whatever people's feelings about KP, I think England will lose matches that they would have won with him in the side. Or draw them.

The ECB wouldn't do this, and maybe they shouldn't... but just by playing the spring ODIs before the Tests would allow some players to play in Tests and IPL, but retire from ODIs.

[sussexpob]

The issue here is not the merits of KPs demands to the ECB but how the ECB dealt with them. They chose to leak contents of private meetings knowing full well that the player would be vilified in the media and in actual fact I'd go so far as to suggest that their express aim was to have the player humbled in the media considering the leaked it to Derek Pringle et al at the Telegraph who are well known for their attacks on KP and a couple of other players.

No matter how you try and square it that is not a professional responce to a situation and all it has done is escalate the situation to where a resolution seems harder than it did a couple of weeks ago. Everyone with any experiance at employee management knows that issues are a hell of a lot simpler to resolve behind closed doors when people's pride is not on the line for all to see, it was the ECB and no one else that brought this in to the public domain.

Now it seems that their calculations have half paid off, KP is indeed the bad man in the press and will continue being dragged through the mud by them as long as this issue remains in the press, but what they either miscalculated or completely forgot was they are not supposed to be having a public PR war with a player but instead resolving the issues with the player in line with their mandate of protecting the English game.

Finally, we agree on the issue

[Making_Splinters]

I think what people need to stop and consider is that it wasn't KP who got the dressing room and the other players involved in this mess it was the ECB.

KP took his issues to the highest level of the ECB in an attempt to resolve them behind closed doors away from the press and the dressing room and some as of yet unknown ECB employee decided that it was wise to let loose this *modded* storm on the press and by doing so dragged all of the rest of the players in the dressing room along for the ride.

We would not have the likes of Jimmy, Prior and Strauss having to answer questions about KP if the ECB had shown the same discretion that KP did.

If the ECB are serious about making any effort to sort this out they should start by finding which ever member of their staff leaked this information to the press - we can only assume it was someone fairly high up considering the parties involved in the meetings - and fire them as they are the party responsible for any and all dressing room angst this has now caused.

[sussexpob]

My two pennies worth....

I think that the ECB are playing hard ball and trying to systematically destroy KP on the basis that they know, as well as us, that KP is the last stand they can make against the IPL. They have got dogmatic and entrenched because if they back out here, they lose the battle and have to admit the inevitable... that they will have to acknowledge the IPL exists and act accordingly.

This situation reminds me of the problems boxing is facing. Too many boards with too many separate motivations, and in the middle a spectating public paying the price of the politics with a decrease in quality in entertainment.

No cricket fan, hand in heart, can tell me that the Windies serious wasnt effected by a team heavily under the odds losing their best match winner of recent times... no one can tell me that New Zealand losing people like McCullum and Guptil next year will not effect that series, and you are clearly in need of medical attention if you think that England losing KP isnt the worst thing that could happen to their limited overs team arguably in the history of English limited overs cricket.

The writing is on the wall I am afraid.... just like boxing is being killed by UFC, so will test cricket if the respetive boards ignore player power and allow ignore the quality and entertainment gap that simply banishing quality players does to the sport. Regardless of the media war, its KP that fans are excited about and pay to see.... no amount of BS in the press and Andy Flower talking about team work can ignore that.

The interesting thing is that, with the IPL being probably the shortest major domestic sporting event of its size in the world held annually, surely expansion is coming.... you really think the extra weight and prestiege an expansion would bring couldbe ignored by players?

The next five years are going to be interesting.... either the ECB compromise now, or they face having their interests crushed by slow death

[hopeforthebest]

The idea that the ECB is wearing the black hat and Pietersen the hero's white hat is based upon rumour rather that hard evidence. The fact the KP claims the leaks didn't come from him is one thing but what about hes wife and dinner party friends. Gossip travels fast in the circles he moves in.

[sussexpob]

The idea that the ECB is wearing the black hat and Pietersen the hero's white hat is based upon rumour rather that hard evidence. The fact the KP claims the leaks didn't come from him is one thing but what about hes wife and dinner party friends. Gossip travels fast in the circles he moves in.

I think the refusal of the captain and coach commenting on the matter says enough

[D/L]

Sure, many people like to see Pietersen play but many others are also sick and tired of his histrionics. In cricket, as in any walk of life, nobody is irreplaceable and whenever Pietersen stops playing it will not be long before he, and the issues surrounding him, are largely forgotten.

The IPL is here to stay. Of that there can be no doubt. It is unfortunate that it takes place at the start of our season, but we can do nothing about geography and climate.

The ECB have to continue to defend our game and our test series against an overseas domestic Twenty20 competition and long may they continue to do so. As long as test cricket continues to bring in the revenues it currently does, the ECB’s war chest, if that is how they see it, should be adequate for the purpose.

[Making_Splinters]

The idea that the ECB is wearing the black hat and Pietersen the hero's white hat is based upon rumour rather that hard evidence. The fact the KP claims the leaks didn't come from him is one thing but what about hes wife and dinner party friends. Gossip travels fast in the circles he moves in.

The press from the very start have said their information came from inside the ECB.

I don't like KPs demands, I certainly don't think any player should be bigger than the team but I expect that the body in control of all cricket in this country should act in a professional manner.

[hopeforthebest]

The idea that the ECB is wearing the black hat and Pietersen the hero's white hat is based upon rumour rather that hard evidence. The fact the KP claims the leaks didn't come from him is one thing but what about hes wife and dinner party friends. Gossip travels fast in the circles he moves in.

The press from the very start have said their information came from inside the ECB.

I don't like KPs demands, I certainly don't think any player should be bigger than the team but I expect that the body in control of all cricket in this country should act in a professional manner.

Spinters it's good to know that you at least have such faith in the British sporting media. Have you always felt this way or is this just an exception?

[Making_Splinters]

The idea that the ECB is wearing the black hat and Pietersen the hero's white hat is based upon rumour rather that hard evidence. The fact the KP claims the leaks didn't come from him is one thing but what about hes wife and dinner party friends. Gossip travels fast in the circles he moves in.

The press from the very start have said their information came from inside the ECB.

I don't like KPs demands, I certainly don't think any player should be bigger than the team but I expect that the body in control of all cricket in this country should act in a professional manner.

Spinters it's good to know that you at least have such faith in the British sporting media. Have you always felt this way or is this just an exception?

As I've previously mentioned many times in this thread I loathe the trend of using anonymous source which has becomes so prevelant within all the British Media.

However are you seriously suggesting that media is flat out lying when they say their information comes from an ECB source?

There is a big difference between protecting the identity of a source and lying about where you got the information from.

[hopeforthebest]

Splinters, I'm suggesting anything but my scepticisme that this is as black and white as you have painted it. The simple truth is that neither you nor I know what has transpired.

[Making_Splinters]

Splinters, I'm suggesting anything but my scepticisme that this is as black and white as you have painted it. The simple truth is that neither you nor I know what has transpired.

It is fairly black and white though, a source - or whatever you want to call it - at the the ECB let the Telegraph know all about what was going on in private meetings between KP and the ECB.

That is what has caused this almighty mess we're now seeing.

[hopeforthebest]

Splinters, I'm suggesting anything but my scepticisme that this is as black and white as you have painted it. The simple truth is that neither you nor I know what has transpired.

It is fairly black and white though, a source - or whatever you want to call it - at the the ECB let the Telegraph know all about what was going on in private meetings between KP and the ECB.

That is what has caused this almighty mess we're now seeing.

So you obviously work for the telegraph and have it from the horse's mouth, I didn't know that.