The enigma that is Kevin Pietersen

[Dilbert]

Dilbert

So, in your opinion, KP and Swann both deserved to have been dropped?

If you have 1 rule for a player than have the same rule for the other.

Exactly.

[Gingerfinch]

Dilbert

So, in your opinion, KP and Swann both deserved to have been dropped?

If you have 1 rule for a player than have the same rule for the other.

Fair enough. Maybe both deserved a punishment.

[greyblazer]

What I would like to understand from people who think it was right for KP to be dropped to ensure team unity etc, do you think Swanns comments in his bio were justified? Should he have been dropped too?

Maybe Yes, if he too has not followed team ethics.

But unlike Swann, KP had many issues. First with Moores, then with IPL contract, now with Flower and Strauss.

He used retirement from short format as gamble. When it foiled he did an Afridi. Then he sends sms during important series revealing the rifts within team to his opponents in middle of important tour. It's just not about one issue.

For the Moores saga, he was penalised, his captaincy stripped
I dont see any issues with IPL contract, his retirement and current issues with Flower and Strauss(allegedly)
He wants something, so he asked. They could have said no and ended it there.

Only issue is his texting about Flower and Strauss, which is something which Swann did in his book but got away scott free.
Which smacks of double standards to me.

And Swann did it publicly.

[Gingerfinch]

Tbf if one goes on like this there won't be a single player left in the team. Just sort out whatever differences you have in a team meeting and play the best team.

So, text away and call the captain whatever you like??

Mmm, not sure that will go down well.

[shankycricket]

@richardjhobson : One final thought. England will need a heck of a lot of team spirit to make up those 149 runs #KP

[greyblazer]

Tbf if one goes on like this there won't be a single player left in the team. Just sort out whatever differences you have in a team meeting and play the best team.

So, text away and call the captain whatever you like??

Mmm, not sure that will go down well.

Do you know what he said?

[Gingerfinch]

@richardjhobson : One final thought. England will need a heck of a lot of team spirit to make up those 149 runs #KP

Not if Bairstow scores 150

[Robert]

Tbf if one goes on like this there won't be a single player left in the team. Just sort out whatever differences you have in a team meeting and play the best team.

Who else suffers from NPD?

[ddb]

Alec Ferguson would have him on the transfer list in double quick time.

Not so, he would have managed it to get a couple more years with KP. He also signed Rooney on recently despite what he said...

But is there a team sport built more on individual performances than cricket, anyway?

@richardjhobson : One final thought. England will need a heck of a lot of team spirit to make up those 149 runs #KP

Personally don't think the text reason is justified even if KP wasn't good at all. And that's the reason we've been provided.

Only person to come out of this well is Matt Prior, btw.

[Gingerfinch]

Tbf if one goes on like this there won't be a single player left in the team. Just sort out whatever differences you have in a team meeting and play the best team.

So, text away and call the captain whatever you like??

Mmm, not sure that will go down well.

Do you know what he said?

Nope, just guessing. It was obviously not nice or complimentary though.

So, keep on texting hey?

[Dilbert]

I don't buy the team unity thing.

Andy Cole & Teddy Sheringham didn't like each other at Man Utd. They still won loads of silverware. I have found that even in normal employment there will always be someone who doesn't get along with another, but as long as it doesn't get personal, there's no reason why they can't work in the same workplace in a professional manner.

If a manager is prepared to handle "awkward" team members, then fine. But he is under no obligation to do so - if he wants to rid himself of the distraction, then that is his right.

It is, but KP is a box office draw. One of our top players (who else can boast three test double centuries?). A case of cutting off the nose to spite the face.

Cook IMO

The paying public prefer watching KP over Cook any day.

[Kim]

I dont believe for a minute that KP was dropped just because of the texts. They must have been furious about the unauthorised video and all the other stuff thats gone on.

The problem is the press statement focussing on the texts.

Theres something iffy about leaking private contract talks and then dropping someone because they wont reveal private texts as well.

One thing is for sure. If there is any truth in the text stories, KP must be monumentally stupid.

[shankycricket]

And if Strauss is the person with whom KP is having a rift and only one of them can play, then I know who I'd rather have.

[Dilbert]

Tbf if one goes on like this there won't be a single player left in the team. Just sort out whatever differences you have in a team meeting and play the best team.

So, text away and call the captain whatever you like??

Mmm, not sure that will go down well.

Do you know what he said?

Nope, just guessing. It was obviously not nice or complimentary though.

So, keep on texting hey?

Sure, why not? If you can write it in a book and get away with it, and make money out of it, why not have some fun over SMS's?

[Gingerfinch]

And if Strauss is the person with whom KP is having a rift and only one of them can play, then I know who I'd rather have.

Strauss?