The enigma that is Kevin Pietersen

[hopeforthebest]

I wonder who'll be opening with Cook in the ODI's against SA?

KP was easily Flower's first chice and only his announcement enforced a change.............

Watch this space... if you can be bothered

Bell will continue to open as Andy Flower sees him as the option since the two ball rule came in. Pietersen will start at 4 but I can imagine him moving up to 3 at some time.

[D/L]

I wonder who'll be opening with Cook in the ODI's against SA?

KP was easily Flower's first chice and only his announcement enforced a change.............

Watch this space... if you can be bothered

Bell will continue to open as Andy Flower sees him as the option since the two ball rule came in. Pietersen will start at 4 but I can imagine him moving up to 3 at some time.

Has Pietersen's wish to "unretire" from one day cricket been granted by the ECB then?

[ddb]

rumours suggest no KP for Lords.

[hopeforthebest]

rumours suggest no KP for Lords.

I will be amazed if that turns out to be true. The ECB would be seen in a very bad light if they failed to accept the olive branch KP has offered them.

[yorker_129-7]

My prediction is for the 6 from Headingley and a reserve batsman and put the decision off until the night before the match. Not sure who that might be, given the obvious alternatives in the event Bopara is still not up to it are Morgan, Bairstow and Compton and they'll be playing against Australia A at the time.

[hopeforthebest]

BBC are reporting he's been dropped but no team has been listed.

[ddb]

SA have played a blinder leaking the text story.

[yorker_129-7]

It seems Pietersen was given an extra 6 hours to confirm and publicly apologise for derogatory texts sent to South Africa players during Leeds test regarding Strauss and Flower, as no explanation or apology was forthcoming the ECB have dropped Pietersen on the grounds of protecting team unity. Jonathan Bairstow has been drafted in from the England Lions squad to play Australia A after making 139 in the second innings at Old Trafford.

[hopeforthebest]

The fact that he was unwilling to deny that the texts were derogatory toward Strauss and Flower suggests that they were. It seems his grovelling was not grovelling enough to meet the demands from the ECB.
Let's hope we are not now humiliated by SA in this last test or the ECB will really get it in the neck.

[Aidan11]

Well done ECB.

Leave out our best player for a crucial test match.

[ChrisQ]

Good work by the ECB. If they were smart they would keep KP out (of all formats) until he confirmed and apologized for the contents of the text messages. If there were no text messages then KP could have easily said so and challenged anyone to provide proof. His failure to deny the existence of the text messages and to deny that they were derogatory speaks volumes. Even if it means that KP needs to apologize in some buttered up language like Gayle did in the Caricom brokered agreement (wherein in he expressed regret for his contentious comments) the ECB should simply wait him out. England got along before KP and England will get along after KP. He's only mortal after all and will have to retire someday before he dies, so kudos on the ECB for not treating him as if he was some messiah who was indispensable. I don't see how it would be good for the team if KP was simply allowed back in while everyone pretended he didn't bad-mouth Strauss and Flower to the opposing the team. I'm sure if the tables were turned KP would not be amused and I doubt anyone with a even a modicum of dignity and pride and sense of self-worth and virtue would just happily tolerate such behaviour from someone who should know better.

[ddb]

So I expect you're unhappy with the leaks from the ECB all about the meetings? That's the worst thing to happen imo and would anger anyone.

KP won't be alone in bitching about other players/ECB. Swann did it in a book.

ECB don't even know the content of the texts and SA's manager has said they were not derogatory, I think.

[Aidan11]

It would have been better if the ECB fined KP and gave him a suspended test ban.

That way all parties could move on and no one has a major loss of face.

Instead the SA squad will probably now be breaking open the champagne.

[greyblazer]

So they have assumed that SA' manager is a liar

[greyblazer]

A masterstroke by the Saffers