The enigma that is Kevin Pietersen

[yuppie]

Do England really want to get rid of KP? Bloody hell, Flower needs his head checking, but i guess he will now have total control. Not sure the coach should have that much power, specially after seeing the demise of a team that just got thumped by a pretty average team.

[Arthur Crabtree]

It seems completely possible that Flower could move KP on without this controversy. All he has to do is thank him for his career, point out his scores are in decline and wish him good luck in the future.

And replace him with Jonny Bairstow just like Matt Prior... :joydance

NO WAIT

:facepalm

Of course, I'm not advocating he does that. I'm saying he doesn't need to start a war to get rid of KP.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Bloody hell, Flower needs his head checking, but i guess he will now have total control.

How is this happening? Have I gone mad? How is Flower coming out of this with more influence!

[sussexpob]

Bloody hell, Flower needs his head checking, but i guess he will now have total control.

How is this happening? Have I gone mad? How is Flower coming out of this with more influence!

He's not, its an illusion he has leaked to the press to absolve himself from blame....

[Arthur Crabtree]

He's turning into Moriarty! He's going to end up locked in combat with Kevin Pietersen as they both tumble from a really high waterfall.

[sussexpob]

He's turning into Moriarty! He's going to end up locked in combat with Kevin Pietersen as they both tumble from a really high waterfall.

It was the Colonel Sherminator, in the hotel bar, with an inflatable hammer!

[Arthur Crabtree]

Flower is saying talk of an ultimatum is inaccurate.

I need to calm down.

[from_the_stands]

This nonsense is the last thing English cricket needs right now. I do think KP's days in Test cricket are numbered... and it might be possible that he has played his last Test. I tend to think that with a big IPL auction coming up, that maybe KP would prefer to free himself of international commitments and improve his value in the IPL. I'm not sure how this will play out, but it does have the potential to rip the English game apart.

[D/L]

“Rip the English game apart”? How so? It would be just another player coming to the end of his career, and an overrated one at that, as far as many are concerned.

[Gingerfinch]

KP will leave a big hole, don't doubt that. We've seen how difficult it's been to replace Paul Collingwood, who was no great player. If Flower has said it's me or him, then it's see ya later., and thanks for what you've done, Mr Flower. Of course we don't know, that's the case.

[from_the_stands]

“Rip the English game apart”? How so? It would be just another player coming to the end of his career, and an overrated one at that, as far as many are concerned.

I reckon we'll see some casualties... maybe even just one, but I reckon someone's downfall is imminent. Should Flower resign and KP retire, or get dropped anyway, the damage will have been significant. From an Oz point of view, I'd love to see heads roll after the total shambles this tour has been. From a purists perspective, I think it has to happen anyway, because there's no regrouping from this. Wholesale changes are needed across the board so that England can begin to rebuild. As for KP, isn't it a case of "enough's enough?" I reckon he might even use this as an excuse to get out so he can become a T20 specialist.

[D/L]

“Rip the English game apart”? How so? It would be just another player coming to the end of his career, and an overrated one at that, as far as many are concerned.

I reckon we'll see some casualties... maybe even just one, but I reckon someone's downfall is imminent. Should Flower resign and KP retire, or get dropped anyway, the damage will have been significant...

There'll be no significant damage if Pietersen retires. It was a mistake to have him back in the squad after his behaviour during the home South Africa series. With hindsight, we may as well have had somebody else at #4 during the Ashes anyway.

[sussexpob]

It was a mistake to have him back in the squad after his behaviour during the home South Africa series.

While England's players moaned he wasnt very nice, they all got out and failed miserably while KP made a near series saving performance..... interestingly the only other person that memory serves scored decent innings in that series was Matt Prior...

[sussexpob]

To be perfectly fair I, for once admittedly, agree with Michael Vaughan. England dont like KP because he is probably the only person in the team that doesnt accept failure with the "oh well, best of luck next time.... lets learn really hard guys" approach that England have become accustomed to. No doubt if I was performing poorly having the best player in the team being vocal about it would make me feel uncomfortable.

Flower and his team would do well to realise that without KP they would have lost in SL too, would have been whitewashed by South Africa in 2012 and lost to them in 2008 also, and almost certainly wouldnt have won in India, which will forever live in memory as Flower's most impressive achievement.

I wonder what Steve Waugh would have achieved if he cried to the selectors to drop Shane Warne because he didnt like him....

And rather see an outspoken and passionate KP screw up as leader than the autoprompter puppet Cook read from his telescreen like a braindead crack addict...

[Alviro Patterson]

Hardly surprising Michael Vaughan stoking the flames, but to mention KPs fielding position to speculate a rift is bordering on desperation.