The enigma that is Kevin Pietersen

[D/L]

...They have basically dropped the best player in the side on the basis of an baseless allegation by a crap newspaper, which gets more things wrong than vice versa.

If it was baseless, why didn't Pietersen deny it? More straw clutching here, I think. I thought there'd have been none left by now.

[greyblazer]

I really dont see whats wrong in moaning about your boss with a mate. Even if that mate comes from an opposition. If KP treated Steyn like a friend on the field, then it would have been a problem. The way he played Steyn at Headingely suggests to me that KP does not let personal relations get in the way of his performances. Some of the other players could learn a thing or two from him.

The idea that KP has any mates in the SA team is laughable. They think he's a prat of the first order.

I didnt know Graeme Smith is equivalent to the entire SA team. KP has very good relations with Kallis, AB, Steyn and also the now retired Boucher.

KP and Steyn seemed to get along very well when they played for even RCB. The same can be said about Kallis and KP.

[shankycricket]

In simple words, "principles" dont win you cricket matches. Performances do. Ah Well!

[hopeforthebest]

The longer KP allows this problem to fester the moe difficult it will be. I suspect it's a matter of days rather than weeks before the rift will become permanent.

Shanky I'm so glad that you never part of any team I played for.

[D/L]

Warne and Gilly never liked each other. The last time I checked, they were a part of one of the most successful teams of all time.

Didn't David Bowie sing about jammin' good with those two and the spiders from Mars?

Really, one would have thought the ECB would have delved into any issue they had between them before taking the action they did.

[Gingerfinch]

In simple words, "principles" dont win you cricket matches. Performances do. Ah Well!

See the bigger picture, shanky.

Look at fergie. Stam slagged him off......see ya, becks got to big for his boots.........ta ta, Ince was seen as a big time charlie, bye bye.

All of these players, especially Stam were world class but fergie said "cross me" and there will be one winner.

Anyhoo, KP may be back once he's seen who runs the show and I hope he does come back, better for it.

[D/L]

What I saw is at Leeds is KP made runs, guided the young player at the crease and took wickets. You don't select players on the basis of whether he gets along well with others or not.

It's probably a little more serious than that. Teams have always had some measure of disharmony in them. Presumably, this one would simply have had too much.

[meninblue]

I don't really see any chances of his return unless he apologizes as requested by ECB. If KP indeed did not send derogatory SMS, then i think he will go to court and say that the SMS issue was fake and ECB is guilty of all this mess.

[greyblazer]

In simple words, "principles" dont win you cricket matches. Performances do. Ah Well!

See the bigger picture, shanky.

Look at fergie. Stam slagged him off......see ya, becks got to big for his boots.........ta ta, Ince was seen as a big time charlie, bye bye.

All of these players, especially Stam were world class but fergie said "cross me" and there will be one winner.

Anyhoo, KP may be back once he's seen who runs the show and I hope he does come back, better for it.

Cantona? Balotelli? Romario? Ganguly himself. Now where they easy to handle? Romario was instrumental in helping Brazil win world cup with his skills. You can get a coach but you don't get world class players.

[SaintPowelly]

Its more than likely that members of the England dressing room ( coaches aswell as players ) have filed complaints about KP.

[D/L]

If you have 1 rule for KP you can't have another rule for someone else. Swann's book came just before the series against India and should have been dropped as he was creating dressing room problems

This is probably one of the greatest irrelevancies as far as this issue is concerned. Players sell books by appearing to be controversial. It would be naïve to think any less than flattering comments would not have been first cleared with the individual concerned.

[greyblazer]

Baggio and Sacchi had problems and look at what happened Italy looked rubbish in 96 Euro and of course in the 98 WC.

[Gingerfinch]

In simple words, "principles" dont win you cricket matches. Performances do. Ah Well!

See the bigger picture, shanky.

Look at fergie. Stam slagged him off......see ya, becks got to big for his boots.........ta ta, Ince was seen as a big time charlie, bye bye.

All of these players, especially Stam were world class but fergie said "cross me" and there will be one winner.

Anyhoo, KP may be back once he's seen who runs the show and I hope he does come back, better for it.

Cantona? Balotelli? Romario? Ganguly himself. Now where they easy to handle? Romario was instrumental in helping Brazil win world cup with his skills. You can get a coach but you don't get world class players.

Cantona? He was apparently a great team man. Also, did Romario or has Balotelli criticised management to the opposition? It's not all black and white and you can't just say player A was a problem but player B wasn't. Each case has it's own content and shanky saying a player should play for whatever reason is wrong.

[meninblue]

I think the SMS contents can be traced by operator even if the person has deleted them Is that the way telecom operators work in UK given permission from courts to trace sms

[D/L]

The England set-up knew what they were taking on with KP. He had spats with team members wherever he went. He's not perfect but English cricket needs someone like him.

The ECB clearly thinks it doesn't and the smart money would be on them being right, I think.