: Sun Mar 29, 2009 10:31 am  

OrdsallRed wrote:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cricket/england/7969926.stm

Has he ever heard of irony??? How he, of all people, can have a go and say that Chanderpaul only bats for himself beggars belief...and as for the annual "tired" bullshit - Im sure he won't be too tired when he's playing in the IPL will he??

Interesting how Chanderpaul himself has kept silent in all of this. Do you know why? Because he's the number one batsman in the world and he lets his cricket do the talking. KP would do well to learn from him rather than slag him off. Prat.

: Mon Mar 30, 2009 8:07 am  

Have to agree, I really am not sure what Pietersen aimed to achieve by slagging off Chanderpaul. It just seems a silly thing to do. That doesnt mean I'd go and drop the best batsman we have.

Anyway, pleased to see England actually bat like they were playing a ODI yesterday, made a pleasant change.

: Mon Mar 30, 2009 8:45 am  

Stirlingshire Saint wrote:

Have to agree, I really am not sure what Pietersen aimed to achieve by slagging off Chanderpaul. It just seems a silly thing to do. That doesnt mean I'd go and drop the best batsman we have.

Anyway, pleased to see England actually bat like they were playing a ODI yesterday, made a pleasant change.

That is, unbelievably, the first legitimate win England have achieved all winter.

: Mon Mar 30, 2009 9:31 am  

The Penguin wrote:

That is, unbelievably, the first legitimate win England have achieved all winter.

Definitely.

What was your opinion on Strauss yesterday ? The first time he has looked comfortable in that arena for me. He has a couple of ODI centuries but previously I have always felt that he has basically stuck around and 'nurdulled' a century (which for me there is a role for at the top of the order in ODI). Yesterday he took the aggressive role and looked good in all honesty. This has to be countered with the bowling though, which I wasn't impressed with yesterday. I got the impression that the Windies had given up hope of victory after 5 overs of bowling.

: Mon Mar 30, 2009 9:34 am  

Stirlingshire Saint wrote:

He has a couple of ODI centuries but previously I have always felt that he has basically stuck around and 'nurdulled' a century (which for me there is a role for at the top of the order in ODI).

There is, but it needs to be complemented by someone who can score more quickly and England just don't have this person, and not since Trescothick retired. Pietersen, as this tour shows, cannot keep being relied upon to get us above 250. We can give as much time as we want to Shah, Bopara, Bell, whoever - you struggle to believe they are good enough.

: Mon Mar 30, 2009 9:37 am  

The Penguin wrote:

There is, but it needs to be complemented by someone who can score more quickly and England just don't have this person, and not since Trescothick retired. Pietersen, as this tour shows, cannot keep being relied upon to get us above 250. We can give as much time as we want to Shah, Bopara, Bell, whoever - you struggle to believe they are good enough.

Shah and Bopara are fine in the one dayers for me, admittedly Shah hasn't performed particularly well on this tour. I like Bopara, he needs to given a good run in the side and allowed to gain consistency and given a clear role, ie aggressor at the top of the order.

: Mon Mar 30, 2009 11:02 am  

GT wrote:

Why?

12 in the first ODI
17 in the second ODI
12 in the Twenty20
3 today

What, exactly, is there in those figures to suggest he should get an automatic place? Or that it'd be 'cutting your nose off'? He's in a distinct lack of form and, arguably, the biggest ego in the squad. There's other players who'd be dropped for scores like that, why should he be an exception?

KP is a proven match winner on any given day. There are very few players that teams can afford to carry in any sport. When somebody of KP's ability comes along then I believe putting up with a poor run of form is reasonable. The only question is, how long do you put up with it for??!! Top draw players don't tend to to underperform for long periods.

: Mon Mar 30, 2009 11:08 am  

airliebird9 wrote:

KP is a proven match winner on any given day. There are very few players that teams can afford to carry in any sport. When somebody of KP's ability comes along then I believe putting up with a poor run of form is reasonable. The only question is, how long do you put up with it for??!! Top draw players don't tend to to underperform for long periods.

Well said. He'll be back to his usual self soon. We just have to stick with him for the time being.

: Mon Mar 30, 2009 11:54 am  

Interesting piece Nasser Hussain did about Pietersen and his inconsistencies of opinion during the rain delay yesterday.

He was fresh and eager to go play in the IPL, now all of a sudden he's tired?

He was Peter Moores' best mate and didn't get on with Andy Flower, then within the space of a couple of months he hated working with Moores and was Flower's best mate.

He belittled Shiv Chanderpaul, but has been part of an England team that turned rolling substitutions into an art form particularly where the fast bowlers were concerned.

Combined with his request to go home between the Test matches earlier in the tour he's coming across like a right whiny crybaby. If you're going to act like that, you'd better be able to put up the performances to cover it, otherwise you're going to get criticism.

: Mon Mar 30, 2009 11:58 am  

Andy Gilder wrote:

Interesting piece Nasser Hussain did about Pietersen and his inconsistencies of opinion during the rain delay yesterday.

He was fresh and eager to go play in the IPL, now all of a sudden he's tired?

He was Peter Moores' best mate and didn't get on with Andy Flower, then within the space of a couple of months he hated working with Moores and was Flower's best mate.

He belittled Shiv Chanderpaul, but has been part of an England team that turned rolling substitutions into an art form particularly where the fast bowlers were concerned.

Combined with his request to go home between the Test matches earlier in the tour he's coming across like a right whiny crybaby. If you're going to act like that, you'd better be able to put up the performances to cover it, otherwise you're going to get criticism.

With the exception of this ODI series, when exactly has KP failed to put in the performances though ? His stats say it all, I'd say hes the one player within that squad to be able to complain.

Only in England would we suggest dropping Kevin Pietersen.