The enigma that is Kevin Pietersen

[sussexpob]

I remember when a player pounding out runs against a weak opponent on a 'ROAD of a pitch was called a 'Flat Track Bully', apparently that doesn't apply to this innings from Kevin Pietersen.

A score of 355* will always be regarded as an incredible innings no matter how flat the pitch is. No Englishman has passed 350 in over 25 years.

7th highest innings ever played in England, FC or tests..... not sure you can disregard that as "flat track bullying"....

[dan08]

I remember when a player pounding out runs against a weak opponent on a 'ROAD of a pitch was called a 'Flat Track Bully', apparently that doesn't apply to this innings from Kevin Pietersen.

A score of 355* will always be regarded as an incredible innings no matter how flat the pitch is. No Englishman has passed 350 in over 25 years.

7th highest innings ever played in England, FC or tests..... not sure you can disregard that as "flat track bullying"....

If this innings is regarded as "flat track bullying" then so were the 6 above. Fact is it's almost impossible to reach such a score without a good batting pitch and/or weak bowling attack.

[Gingerfinch]

To be fair to KP, nobody else passed 36, which is quite incredible. He's well worth a place on talent, like I've said, just not with the baggage. Move on!

[hopeforthebest]

I remember when a player pounding out runs against a weak opponent on a 'ROAD of a pitch was called a 'Flat Track Bully', apparently that doesn't apply to this innings from Kevin Pietersen.

A score of 355* will always be regarded as an incredible innings no matter how flat the pitch is. No Englishman has passed 350 in over 25 years.

Leicestershire who are not renowned for scoring 300 runs on a regular basis are doing just that on this pitch and a young batsman making his debut scored a century. I said earlier it was a fine innings from KP but it has to be put in context rather than being heralded as the greatest innings since Noah.

[sussexpob]

I remember when a player pounding out runs against a weak opponent on a 'ROAD of a pitch was called a 'Flat Track Bully', apparently that doesn't apply to this innings from Kevin Pietersen.

A score of 355* will always be regarded as an incredible innings no matter how flat the pitch is. No Englishman has passed 350 in over 25 years.

Leicestershire who are not renowned for scoring 300 runs on a regular basis are doing just that on this pitch and a young batsman making his debut scored a century. I said earlier it was a fine innings from KP but it has to be put in context rather than being heralded as the greatest innings since Noah.

Such an easy pitch and attack to play, Surrey's other top 6 batsman struggled, and as of last week, it is a team with 5 international caps in its top 6 and the 4th biggest test run scorer of all time.

[budgetmeansbudget]

Three or four centuries in consecutive games is way more impressive than a stand alone triple century.

[hopeforthebest]

Many of us us have a great dislike of the the ECB and found their treatment of KP unfair but those whose dislike is close to hysteria are using this innings as another stick to to beat them with.

[budgetmeansbudget]

It has to considered that his two innings of note this season have been against a university side and the poorest county side by a mile over the last two seasons.

[mikesiva]

At least this decision by Strauss hasn't cost Pietersen too much, he can now bugger off back to his lucrative IPL contract in India. Strauss could have left him dangling and said, one good innings doesn't make a summer Kevin, keep going and we'll consider you again later in the summer, and then not picked him then out of spite. But Strauss is clearly a man of integrity and laid it on the line to him as honestly and directly as he could yesterday, and as a result gave him the opportunity to go back to India at the earliest opportunity.

On the contrary, I thought it was very poor of the ECB to say that KP needed to play county cricket instead of IPL in order to play for England, and then when he does, to slam the door shut on him. The ECB should've been up front from the very beginning, and that way KP could've stayed in India and play the entire IPL. By saying this, the ECB encouraged KP to miss three-quarters of the IPL, which to me smacks of dishonesty and vindictiveness....

"I had two phone conversations with Colin Graves and he was crystal clear in saying I had to get a county, score runs and that there was a clean slate."

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/cricke ... eceit.html

KP's no angel, but the ECB comes out of this with some very dirty hands....

[westoelad]

The newly elected chairman of the ECB has to come out and clarify exactly what he promised Kevin Pietersen if he wants his organisation,and more importantly himself, to regain any credibility. For a man of such an outspoken nature he's become very quiet of late.

[dan08]

It has to considered that his two innings of note this season have been against a university side and the poorest county side by a mile over the last two seasons.

Anyway, as Strauss said, this is nothing to do with ability. He knows KP is good enough for England. This is purely about trust.

[budgetmeansbudget]

At least this decision by Strauss hasn't cost Pietersen too much, he can now bugger off back to his lucrative IPL contract in India. Strauss could have left him dangling and said, one good innings doesn't make a summer Kevin, keep going and we'll consider you again later in the summer, and then not picked him then out of spite. But Strauss is clearly a man of integrity and laid it on the line to him as honestly and directly as he could yesterday, and as a result gave him the opportunity to go back to India at the earliest opportunity.

On the contrary, I thought it was very poor of the ECB to say that KP needed to play county cricket instead of IPL in order to play for England, and then when he does, to slam the door shut on him. The ECB should've been up front from the very beginning, and that way KP could've stayed in India and play the entire IPL. By saying this, the ECB encouraged KP to miss three-quarters of the IPL, which to me smacks of dishonesty and vindictiveness....

"I had two phone conversations with Colin Graves and he was crystal clear in saying I had to get a county, score runs and that there was a clean slate."

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/cricke ... eceit.html

KP's no angel, but the ECB comes out of this with some very dirty hands....

Strauss wasn't part of the set up when the initial carrot was dangled.

He's come in and said sod all this incentive nonsense, you ain't playing when I'm around and I'm telling you straight so you know where you stand.

[sussexpob]

The newly elected chairman of the ECB has to come out and clarify exactly what he promised Kevin Pietersen if he wants his organisation,and more importantly himself, to regain any credibility. For a man of such an outspoken nature he's become very quiet of late.

Probably sensible

[budgetmeansbudget]

It has to considered that his two innings of note this season have been against a university side and the poorest county side by a mile over the last two seasons.

Anyway, as Strauss said, this is nothing to do with ability. He knows KP is good enough for England. This is purely about trust.

That is true but his batting efforts still need to be put in perspective with all the plaudits he's been getting in the past 24 hours.

[budgetmeansbudget]

The newly elected chairman of the ECB has to come out and clarify exactly what he promised Kevin Pietersen if he wants his organisation,and more importantly himself, to regain any credibility. For a man of such an outspoken nature he's become very quiet of late.

Yes, that is certainly very strange.