The enigma that is Kevin Pietersen

[shankycricket]

It's 50/25/25 I thought.

[Making_Splinters]

It's 50/25/25 I thought.

Indeed it is, my mistake. Doesn't change the overall point though.

[Alviro Patterson]

Kevin will join up with the squad as soon as his Champions League commitments are complete.

Ironic KP is allowed to play Champions League Twenty20 and tour India for two reasons:

KP originally retires from limited overs cricket because he was complaining of workload, yet he's playing both CLt20 and touring India with England.
Tim Bresnan unavailable to play for Yorkshire in CLt20 and is told to rest by the ECB in preparation for England's tour of India.

Not really.

Bresnan played in the World T20, KP on the other hand did not.

Of course we could make rather more pointed suggestions as to why even with the news that KP will be touring India that he is still playing, namely that the ECB really don't want to pick a fight with the BCCI, CA and CSA (well of course even more than they have already with CSA).

KP and Bresnan have effectively played the same amount of cricket since the Headingley test against South Africa:

Bresnan: 1 County Championship, 1 CB40, Twenty20 finals day, 2 ODIs and 3 T20 matches.
KP: 2 County Championship, 3 CB40 matches and 2 CLt20 matches.

Fair enough if Bresnan had to have further rehab on his elbow injury for the India tour, but not being allowed to play in the Champions League because of a rest policy whilst KP does both is plain wrong.

It's either withdraw KP from the CLt20 or allow Bresnan to play, none of this compromising stuff. Otherwise the ECB will have one very unhappy central contracted player and an even more irate director of professional cricket.

[Making_Splinters]

Kevin will join up with the squad as soon as his Champions League commitments are complete.

Ironic KP is allowed to play Champions League Twenty20 and tour India for two reasons:

KP originally retires from limited overs cricket because he was complaining of workload, yet he's playing both CLt20 and touring India with England.
Tim Bresnan unavailable to play for Yorkshire in CLt20 and is told to rest by the ECB in preparation for England's tour of India.

Not really.

Bresnan played in the World T20, KP on the other hand did not.

Of course we could make rather more pointed suggestions as to why even with the news that KP will be touring India that he is still playing, namely that the ECB really don't want to pick a fight with the BCCI, CA and CSA (well of course even more than they have already with CSA).

KP and Bresnan have effectively played the same amount of cricket since the Headingley test against South Africa:

Bresnan: 1 County Championship, 1 CB40, Twenty20 finals day, 2 ODIs and 3 T20 matches.
KP: 2 County Championship, 3 CB40 matches and 2 CLt20 matches.

Fair enough if Bresnan had to have further rehab on his elbow injury for the India tour, but not being allowed to play in the Champions League because of a rest policy whilst KP does both is plain wrong.

It's either withdraw KP from the CLt20 or allow Bresnan to play, none of this compromising stuff. Otherwise the ECB will have one very unhappy central contracted player and an even more irate director of professional cricket.

They may have played the same number of matches but they have not played the same amount of cricket unless you really think KP sitting in a TV studio is the same as Bresnan being part of the England World T20 squad.

As above it's really nothing to do with the amount of cricket being played, the parties in control of the Champions League probably couldn't give a monky's if Bresnan plays for Yorkshire or not, if anything they'd rather Yorkshire followed the script and bowed out as soon as possible, the same is not true of KP.

[Alviro Patterson]

KP and Bresnan have effectively played the same amount of cricket since the Headingley test against South Africa:

Bresnan: 1 County Championship, 1 CB40, Twenty20 finals day, 2 ODIs and 3 T20 matches.
KP: 2 County Championship, 3 CB40 matches and 2 CLt20 matches.

Fair enough if Bresnan had to have further rehab on his elbow injury for the India tour, but not being allowed to play in the Champions League because of a rest policy whilst KP does both is plain wrong.

It's either withdraw KP from the CLt20 or allow Bresnan to play, none of this compromising stuff. Otherwise the ECB will have one very unhappy central contracted player and an even more irate director of professional cricket.

They may have played the same number of matches but they have not played the same amount of cricket unless you really think KP sitting in a TV studio is the same as Bresnan being part of the England World T20 squad.

As above it's really nothing to do with the amount of cricket being played, the parties in control of the Champions League probably couldn't give a monky's if Bresnan plays for Yorkshire or not, if anything they'd rather Yorkshire followed the script and bowed out as soon as possible, the same is not true of KP.

This is the same ECB who are anti-IPL and counties won't be entering Champions League Twenty20 as of next year. If anything KP playing CLt20 is down to the players request than pleasing shareholders.

[Making_Splinters]

KP and Bresnan have effectively played the same amount of cricket since the Headingley test against South Africa:

Bresnan: 1 County Championship, 1 CB40, Twenty20 finals day, 2 ODIs and 3 T20 matches.
KP: 2 County Championship, 3 CB40 matches and 2 CLt20 matches.

Fair enough if Bresnan had to have further rehab on his elbow injury for the India tour, but not being allowed to play in the Champions League because of a rest policy whilst KP does both is plain wrong.

It's either withdraw KP from the CLt20 or allow Bresnan to play, none of this compromising stuff. Otherwise the ECB will have one very unhappy central contracted player and an even more irate director of professional cricket.

They may have played the same number of matches but they have not played the same amount of cricket unless you really think KP sitting in a TV studio is the same as Bresnan being part of the England World T20 squad.

As above it's really nothing to do with the amount of cricket being played, the parties in control of the Champions League probably couldn't give a monky's if Bresnan plays for Yorkshire or not, if anything they'd rather Yorkshire followed the script and bowed out as soon as possible, the same is not true of KP.

This is the same ECB who are anti-IPL and counties won't be entering Champions League Twenty20 as of next year. If anything KP playing CLt20 is down to the players request than pleasing shareholders.

Not to be overly burdened by English pride but do you think anyone actually cares if England's teams do not enter? The Boards that control the Champions League already barred Kent from entering in the past because of their players affiliated with the ICL. There is a slight difference between England making themselves more irrelevant in world cricket and actively pulling a player who will start every game for his team at very short notice.

[greyblazer]

Hmm! interesting.

http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/com ... 16892.html

[D/L]

I don’t think the Bresnan and Pietersen comparison viz à viz the Champions League are directly comparable. Hadn’t Pietersen’s old central contract expired and a new one not agreed at the start of the tournament?

Any road up, no match practice at all is probably better preparation for India than the current thrash in South Africa. Yorkshire's participation may be good for financial reasons, but it is difficult to think of any others.

[Making_Splinters]

I don’t think the Bresnan and Pietersen comparison viz à viz the Champions League are directly comparable. Hadn’t Pietersen’s old central contract expired and a new one not agreed at the start of the tournament?

Any road up, no match practice at all is probably better preparation for India than the current thrash in South Africa. Yorkshire's participation may be good for financial reasons, but it is difficult to think of any others.

His contract was awarded before the start but his place on the India tour was not. The main thing that makes it not comparable is that Bresnan has been a part of the international cricket set up with his first break coming when England were knocked out of the World T20 compared to KP who's done nothing but sit on his arse since Surrey's penultimate game of the season, and of course one is a bowler and the other a batsmen.

Since the ECB decided to snub the BCCI, CA and CSA when offered a part of the Champion's League then there has been no real reason for English counties to play aside from letting their lads have a chance to show themselves on a bigger stage.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Strauss touches on the KP wars.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2012/oc ... en-apology

[hopeforthebest]

Matt Prior at tea with Alison Mitchell.

http://www.espncricinfo.com/england/con ... 87810.html

[KipperJohn]

Matt Prior at tea with Alison Mitchell.

http://www.espncricinfo.com/england/con ... 87810.html

Ah.... the tea room at Warminster-on-Sea.....

[D/L]

Tried to find them on the map...

[Alviro Patterson]

Enjoying the peace and quiet of KP failing with the bat whilst Cook and Patel score big.

Cricket is a team game and always will be.

[greyblazer]

http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/danho ... -186-runs/