The Full Toss

Strauss and Pietersen: the moment of truth

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In News
May 11, 2015
3 Min read
133 comments

This Tweet has an indelible ring of truth to it. Pietersen himself – fresh from his 326 not out for Surrey against Leicestershire today – has also confirmed personally that a meeting will take place tonight. But why would Harrison and Strauss wish to see him unless to convey (for him) bad news? Good news, or at least open-ended news, could be discussed by phone.

Assuming that Harrison and Strauss are indeed resolved to keep Pietersen out of the England side forever, how will Strauss explain this at tomorrow’s press conference? This promises to be a remarkable piece of sophistry.

As I see it, his options are:

“Kevin would be a backwards step. We’re not interested in short-term measures. I want to build an England side for the future”.

But what about the very recent recall of Jonathan Trott? In setting out such a stall, Strauss would be directly criticising the selectors. He;ll also be ruling out a recall for any senior player,in any circumstances even if expediency demanded it. This would mean that if Bell, Broad or Anderson were either dropped, or absent for any significant time due to injury, they could not – according to Strauss’s notional logic – ever be brought back to the side.

“I can only reiterate what my predecessor Paul Downton said on repeated occasions. Kevin was disengaged and disinterested, and we needed to move on without him. That hasn’t changed”.

Would Strauss have the the sheer gall to say this? And would it stand up to the slightest scrutiny? As Strauss was commentating during the 2013/14 Ashes – and not in the dressing room – how would he know what went on? Whose word is he relying on? And if Strauss adds further detail to the charges against Pietersen, two questions will be begged. Why weren’t we told this before? And why are the goalposts being moved?

“Bringing back Kevin will cause a media storm and be disruptive to the side”.

Which would only invoke the immediate counter-argument – what’s most disruptive to a side? Losing test matches, batsmen who score no runs, or a spate of racy headlines? Is Strauss saying that if England were two-nil down with two to play, with a collapsing middle-order, and Pietersen in fine county form, that it would be more disruptive to keep Pietersen out than recall him? And that continuing to exclude him would not cause a media furore?

Those, I suggest, are Strauss’s three most likely lines of argument. Much depends, though, on how rigorously the press are prepared to probe his assertions.

 

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133 comments

  • Therin lies the problem though Maxie. Newman, Selvey, Agnew, James all nodding at Strauss’s every word, none of them asking any searching questions about why he was sacked or why he will never be allowed back.

    Agnew blocked me on Twitter for having the temerity to criticise him for his interview with Giles Clarke last year. I said his questions were the equivalent of “chuck downs” such were the softness of them and the precious little mite felt that was a troll remark and blocked me.

    I have no faith in the mainstream press who are all friends of ex players and are too close to ask the real questions. Keep up the good work and don’t let the bastards wriggle off the hook.

    Andy

    • He blocks everyone and anyone who doesn’t agree with him. To me that shows just how fragile his ego is and all the rest of them. Selvey, Newman, Pringle will block you for just asking a question. They think they are gods and therefore not to be questioned on their motives for pouring out their puerile, venomous and non-fact based pieces. Have you seen Simon Hughes’ stuff. So aggressive and nasty about KP yesterday that someone twitter thought he had finally lost the plot! He mentioned “leaks” and I asked why the ECB was leaking more than my colander. I asked why Agnew knew that KP would never play for England 2 days ago. I got a lot of “flannel” about how journos etc make informed statements. So I asked about the terrible way Moores had been sacked “by media!” He agreed. So I then said so Agnew’s piece is media sacking KP and thanks for clearing that one up. He never came back to that one.

      Oh and my pint of beer offer from Mr Hughes has been unforthcoming.

  • If Piers Morgan is correct (and there’s a first time for everything) I hope that when he’s inevitably interviewed tomorrow, KP says “Well, I did my best, but what hope is there when the ECB are a bunch of c**ts?”

    • If he is prepared to adopt the moniker c**ty i feel a recall is imminent. He will be part of the gang, press conferences will be easy for the likes Belly and Rooty and Straussy and Cooky and Jimmy and Broady and Ali and Lythy and Gary and Straussy wont feel disingenuous. Simple.

  • Come on Andrew – get him back in. Bell averaging mid 30’s last year. You know it makes sense!

  • Why doesn’t Straussy try the truth.

    We can’t shorten your name properly and we think you are a prick ( nearly honest) who is nearer the end of your career than the beginning.

    Despite your brilliance you are a difficult and mercurial human being and we are all tired of trying to assimilate you ( because we lack the emotional intelligence, subtlety and humility required) and we want to forget everything about you and move on and have another look at Michael Carberry ,Nick Compton and possibly John Crawley.

    Strauss can at least say he was true to himself as he starts his new jobs-coaching the U 14s at Radley and sub- editing at The Full Toss in the winter replying to fatuous pieces like this one.

  • Surely Strauss would destroy his and the team’s credibility with the man in the street if he slammed the door. Ridiculed by all and sundry, and the press (beyond the cabal of senior correspondents) is not as unified as it was a year ago. Bringing such a storm onto himself and his team in his first week? It defies any attempt at reason.

    The fact we still believe it could happen is more damming of their reputation than anything.

  • Tom Collomosse in the Standard reckons they could try to fob Pietersen off with some sort of advisory role to a couple of younger players.

  • Simon Hughes has just slaughtered KP on 5 live. He played for Middlesex didn’t he

    • Simon Hughes. Like Mike Selvey. Not even half the talent of KP, jealous and bitter as they plough another mediocre furrow as poor journalists, trying desperately to remain “part of the gang” even though the gang is as embittered, complacent and useless as they always were.

      Still, the football season isn’t quite over yet. And there’s another election in 5 years time.

  • These moron will do anything and everything to stop KP playing in an England shirt. The utter moronic stuff being spewed out is disgusting. So if Agnew is saying that KP will never play for England again, that means yet another leak by the ECB.

    This will just show how utterly pathetic, mean, vindictive and unprofessional these bozos are.

  • The obvious thing they would say to him is that there is at present no vacancy in the middle order of the test side, but that could change and if it does and if you keep making runs your next in line. Also that there are plenty of spots up for grabs in the ODI and 20/20 sides so you can have a go at that ASAP.

    We will have to wait and see but remember that Straus, Graves and Harrison dont have to commit themselves to retaining the mistakes of Downton, Moores and Giles.

    • It is done. Over. No wait and see. We don’t do the polite and sensible thing in England (see also Moores).

      I am done with England. They can go to hell.

  • Fuck them all. They’ve destroyed my pleasure in supporting England, but they’ve also made it obvious that I’m a fuckwit for having supported England for the last 25 years. This is what the England team is, this is what they represent. Anyone who can react to today’s innings by going ahead with the plan to put their own massively entitled ego ahead of the interests of the team they’re being paid a shitload of cash to work for (with no evidence they can do the job they’re being paid to do) can fuck off.

    Fuck Strauss, fuck that malevolent goblin Flower, fuck the ECB, fuck the cricket media, fuck that pious prick Agnew, fuck all of them. I’m done.

  • They’re mad. It’s the only explanation I can think of.

    There is just nothing sensible about doing this. Nothing at all. From any point of view.

  • Maxie, I agree that the later excuses would be lame. However the first could be a legitimate view for Strauss to take. KP was sacked over 12 months ago and England have moved on – perhaps not for the better but we will never know how KP would have performed during that period in England colours. Indeed apart from the 300 KP hasn’t score many runs (aside from flogging University bowlers around the par). James regularly suggest KP is past his best, and Leicestershire are hardly a high quality attack. Nor do I think that it rules out selecting dropped players who perform in the county game. Also, what if Collingwood scored 300 tomorrow? Would you really be suggesting he was in line for a recall?

    If Strauss was instrumental in Moores removal (ignoring the means in which it came out) he has a least dealt with one issue often raised by your blogs and in the comments. You can’t expect him to always agree with you – there are other views held.

    My issue is with Graves giving KP some hope before he was the ECB chairman, but before his feet are under the desk, his staff are (apparently) suggesting the opposite. I’d be furious my staff were undermining me so blatantly. Perhaps Strauss’ press conference is to fall on his sword before he is sacked by an angry boss!

    • “I’d be furious my staff were undermining me so blatantly.”

      And my team captain. Either Graves is just a stopgap and they’re disrespecting him because they know he’s not really going to have any power, or there’s a real split in the England setup.

      Whichever it is, this is no way to run a whelk stall. Very disappointed in Strauss, I thought he would at least display some intelligence.

    • Of the two competitions he’s played in since coming back from injury, he had the second highest aggregate of runs in the first (from two innings less than the rest of the top six), and he’s averaging over 200 in the second. When you say he hasn’t scored many runs, I’m not sure what number of runs you think would suffice. If Collingwood hadn’t retired, was averaging 200 in county cricket, and stated he wanted to play for England, then of course he’d be in line for a recall. Anyone would who wasn’t called Kevin Pietersen.

      If there’s any reason for this other than spite, then Strauss has to set it out tomorrow. None of the lines of argument set out above will suffice.

    • Some questionable arguments here.

      1. ‘apart from the 300 KP hasn’t score many runs (aside from flogging University bowlers around the par)’ – he’s only played 2 other games, both rain affected, and has 3 not outs in 5 innings.

      2. James regularly suggest KP is past his best, – then why not just say we’ll pick you if you merit selection?

      3. Leicestershire are hardly a high quality attack – They are of similar quality to many of the other championship teams. I grant you not the best but is this really the basis for discounting performance? Do we do the same to other batsmen?

      4. Also, what if Collingwood scored 300 tomorrow? Would you really be suggesting he was in line for a recall? Really? Firstly, Collingwood is fully 4 years older than KP. Secondly, since his England career ended he’s played around 50 first class matches for Durham with an average in the mid 30s and a highest score of 114. I can’t believe you sincereley think this is a valid comparison.

    • “Also, what if Collingwood scored 300 tomorrow? Would you really be suggesting he was in line for a recall?”

      Personally, yes I would. This is of course hypothetical because we know that this isn’t happening and indeed that he wouldn’t have made 300-odd in a day even at his peak. I’d say the same of anyone, whatever their age and pedigree. These innings just don’t come around often in county cricket, no matter the standard of attack.

  • I’m KP neutral. I take the basis that you pick the best side and go from there.

    The ECB could have handled this so much better in my view. KP claims his knee was so bad in his book that it required an operation (which he hasn’t had).

    So, think back to last February. Some of this playing out is wishful thinking and, in an ideal world, for the ECB.

    ECB: We think the time is right for you to have the operation and try and get you fit for the World Cup and the 2015 Ashes.
    (KP agrees and has the op)
    ECB names a progressive head coach like Kirsten.
    ECB picks players in middle order and they do well. England are winning. Everyone is happy.
    England improve in ODI cricket and the middle order fire.
    ECB pick World Cup squad without KP – squad has done well. KP unfortunate.
    (KP retires from one day cricket)
    ECB ignore KP for Windies series. Same reason; needs to score runs in county cricket and there is currently no vacancy.
    Middle order plays well. KP keeps pushing but no spot available for 2015 Ashes, which are won 5-0 by England.
    KP accepts he’s had his time and retires from international cricket.

    Piers Morgan wouldn’t be kicking off left, right and centre. We wouldn’t be frustrated about it after every drab/poor/pathetic performance England put out.

    My view after the 2014 Ashes debacle was to wipe the slate clean playing wise and make some sackings in the background, especially the people who came up with the diet novella and the #RISE campaign (what was that about again?). By ‘sacking’ everyone, all of those who disgraced the shirt down under (KP included) would have to go back and score runs for their counties to earn selection. If KP would rather play IPL, then he can’t return for England until he’s scored runs at county level and there’s a vacancy.

    But the ECB lock the door, bolt it, padlock it and hammer some boards in before welding it shut because KP doesn’t get on with certain people before abusing their own supporters. I think that is a joke. We play pathetic, boring cricket that I can barely be bothered to watch.

    As much as it hurts, I’m supporting New Zealand in the Test series. I want England to regain the Ashes but if we go 3-0 down in three I might consider a home whitewash to be the best long-term outcome for England.

  • You really couldn’t make it up.

    The guy has given up a lucrative IPL contract and come back to red ball cricket for what he was told was a shot at the glory and joy of playing for England again. And he’s giving his wages to charity in the process.

    If the ECB think England fans are going to stand for this, they have got a seriously rude awakening coming. It goes totally against the spirit of meritocracy, decency and fair play.

    Did Graves and Strauss not read the Wisden? “Repeatedly lost touch with the basic idea that the national team belongs to us all”…

  • I’m done with England. Had enough. Disgusted. This year I’m supporting New Zealand and the Aussies! Let’s see England destroyed / crushed. England have just dropped to 5th in the Test rankings with Pakistan and Sri Lanka very close behind. Plus we’ve just drawn a series to no.8. The appointment of Strauss means business as usual. Not for me.

  • Strauss really is an absolute c*unt! Completely unacceptable. Do I boycott the two series coming up? Or do I turn up and boo in the appropriate places whilst supporting the opposition?

  • The ECB clearly saw Vaughan’s article from yesterday:
    “The ECB really can’t get any poorer in terms of how they treat people”
    …and decided to take up the challenge.

    • Oh fuck. I hadn’t even thought about it, but that’s obviously what’s going to happen, isn’t it? I suppose I’ll feel less bad about the pleasure I’m going to take at England getting hammered this summer with that miserable prick in charge.

      I note from the Telegraph that Strauss’s job description includes winning the Ashes – in 2019. That’s another four years of failure pencilled in, then.

  • God, I’m utterly deflated, angry and full of hate after a wonderful day at the Oval. Will be supporting NZ and Australia this summer. How sad. The ECB has done this to me. Total bastards, all of them.

  • If Strauss and his ECB masters have told Pietersen that he won`t play for England again you really have to wonder at the depths of their sheer obtuse stupidity. I`m not interested in who said something hurtful and someone else is offended or that ludricously Pietersen has had 3 warnings of which 2 at least to my mind are undeserved, or that he publicly criticised Clarke and Collier 18 months ago or that Cook and his mates suspect Pietersen of colluding with Warne to take over the Captaincy which none of them can prove.
    They all just miss the point of being professional sport players.
    I`m not interested in building to this or that competition in several years time. I want them to consider the national interest and pick the best and grown up (not cry babies) players now to win every game now – not next year or in 2 years-every game NOW. And if they don`t they are guily of wilful incompetence and wasting the country`s time.

    • After the “non-leak” of Moores’ dismissal, the ECB is the last cricketing organisation that should be making judgement calls based on “trustworthiness.”

    • Morgan’s tweet predated the meeting! A meeting in which details were subsequently leaked to Agnew, but its Pietersen they can’t trust? Its actually (going all the way back to how he lost the captaincy) Pietersen who’s never been able to trust the ECB!

  • And your reply sums up the divisiveness of the Pietersen issue and to what lkengths his “supporters” will go. We know all about Piers Morgan being Pietersen’s unofficial loud mouthpiece, but you simply make another straw man allegation. Name names. Who leaked what about Mr Moores’s dismissal, when, and to whom? Come on, name names.

    • First of all, as an Australian I’m pretty much the opposite of a “Pietersen supporter.” I’d much rather he never play for England again.

      As for Moores, we know for a fact that he found out about his dismissal from the media first. Which is an absolute disgrace. So somebody, somewhere along the line, leaked to the press. It may not have been the ECB leaking directly to a journalist, but they were the only source of that information. So either somebody in the ECB leaked to a journalist, or they told somebody who then leaked to a journalist. Either way it was an appalling way to manage the whole situation and reflects badly on the ECB.

      As for naming names, isn’t that what we have “journalists” for? Come on, let’s have a little investigative journalism instead of just bitching about the “KP fans.”

        • So Moores learned of his dismissal from the media… because he leaked it himself ?

          If that weren’t so ridiculous, I’d say that is pretty close to libel.

            • You don’t have to support Moores to think that the manner in which his dismissal was handled was poor
              Likewise you don’t have to support Pietersen to think he has been lead up the garden path this summer
              Neither of those constitute hypocrisy
              So no it isn’t breathtaking

    • Piers morgan has so many ‘contacts’ how the hell would a KP batting in the pitch nearing 200 pass the message to Piers morgan unless they have telekinetic connection like morgan says.

      Piers morgan is a guy who got bret lee to bowl at him, played with lara.. quite gets on with vaughan, stewie flintoff etc the guy has people every where or people who know people every where and he does it for a living.

      And please dotn claim to have some sort high moral ground being a ECB supporter, they leak worse than a hose, wasnt moores just sacked on SKY

      • Oh, so anyone who disagrees with you is an ECB supporter? I disagree with YOU because Kevin Pietersen is untrustworthy, disruptive and yesterdays news as far as many, many cricket supporters, including me, are concerned. You do not have a monopoly on supporter’s opinions.

        • when you can label any english cricket fan who wants one of their best players to be in the squad as pieterson ‘supporter’ im sure you have given me the right to label you a ECB tincase. What did he do to be untrustworthy? he never leaked team details ECB accepted that. disruptive everyone form hales broad, some ipl kid hooda, davies , carberry, swann, many players disagree with you, yup yesterday he just knocked a triple in ENG county that has been absent for 5 years in the circuit both divisions included. you are the one trying to be a representative for a lot (ECB lot) i on the other hand am a free thinker and just sharing my opinion on your statements. :Cheers

        • And many many many cricket fans WANT KP back and the current team ECB sorted out and shown up for what it is..again, just because 95% of the public keep quiet (because no one listens to them anyway) doesn’t mean they support the ECB. I find a lot dislike KP he person but nearly all believe he’s been harshly treated, that the ECB are getting everything wrong time afte time and now, KP is being shown that he may actually have been right about things and all the bad press was just PR at work from the ECB to discredit him

        • I don’t think you do either. We can all say many many. By the way your concept of what constitutes news is rather odd. It clearly is today’s news. Unusually for cricket

    • And whose mouthpiece are the likes of Hughes, Selvey, Newman etc? The BBC story comes from Agnew. Do you seriously suggest he got it from Morgan?He can’t stand him.
      It never fails to amaze me how Morgan is always dragged into these arguments. He’s just a gobshite who thinks the sun shines out of KP’s arse. The exact equivalent of Hughes and Cooky

    • Name names? So it was just an inspired guess was it? You don’t have to be Einstein or ‘name names’ to know that ,if confidential information appears in several newspapers, someone privy to that information has been indiscreet. Who it may be does not alter that fact.

    • “Name names.” Really ?

      The whole point about a leak is that it’s anonymous.

      If you’re claiming that the media wasn’t told of Moores dismissal before Moores, then you are living in a strange parallel universe, where the ECB is run by men of principle.

      Straw man, forsooth.

  • Confirmation from the ECB’s tame conduit:
    BBC cricket correspondent Jonathan Agnew broke the story on Monday evening and said: “In truth, it’s not a surprise. Pietersen has certainly scored the runs but for those who decided his time with England was over, his ability was not the issue.

    Cricketing ability is no longer the criterion for selection.

    The same article contains a piece from Simon Hughes of the most remarkable and un-journalistic piece of bile I’ve seen in a long time.

  • What a load of old tosh. Let me put it this way. As a cricket supporter for over 60 years, and with no axe to grind whatsoever, I would not select Kevin Pietersen because I would not trust him: to perform when it matters; to act at all times as a team member; know when to keep private dressing room conversations to himself. Nothing to do with the ECB. My opinion.

    • I understand – the Clatworthy seal of approval also trumps form and ability.

      You’re qualified to be on the ECB board, then.

    • I have also been an England cricket supporter for 60 years
      I don’t agree with you and ,since you use the expression, I think a load of old tosh would be very applicable to some of what you’ve had to say here

    • Sorry, but it isn’t KP who has a record of not keeping things private. There’s a long line of occasions when he’s been asked an opinion, or negotiated contracts and the details have leaked out into the public domain in order to try and undermine him.
      You’re biased and blind if you can’t see or remember any of this.
      By your criteria, Stuart Broad, Graeme Swann, James Anderson and even Saint Alistair shouldn’t have ever been selected ever again either, after their behaviour/autobiographies/newspaper columns/failures on the pitch.

    • Sorry Mr Clatworthy but I wouldn’t trust your opinion or judgement. You must be in your eighties now and I would bet that your work overalls were either brown or white. You see, you didn’t have judgement or opinion to call your own, when you were told to do something, your automatic reply would have been “right away Sir!” No time to form an opinion or judgement. I’m afraid I would rather take notice of someone who would have time to make reasoned judgements.

      • Vanessa, I am afraid that because you obviously have not a single clue who I am or what I have done, and still do within the sport, your contribution is merely a demonstration of utter brainlessness. That is my opinion and my judgement.

        • Not so much ad hominem, as ex hominem.
          And characteristically rude, to boot.

          In any event, something to do with Middlesex would be my guess.

        • Yes and as I said in my previous post, I won’t be taking your opinion and judgement onboard any time soon.

    • “As a cricket supporter for over 60 years, and with no axe to grind whatsoever, I would not select Kevin Pietersen because I would not trust him: to perform when it matters”.

      I trust that view also extends to Alastair Cook? As the evidence of the past two years would suggest that he certainly cannot be trusted to perform when it matters. The ECB are the laughing stock of world cricket, and have now appointed a ‘yes’ man to be their new director of debacles.

    • So, by your criteria you would have to fire broad, Swann, Brennan for a start as they have shown not to be trust worthy and acting for the team. You would need to fire cook after his latest statements against his boss, the ECB and before that, talking down to supporters (who are the England team, not these 11 players). You’d need to fire nearly all the ECB as they leak everything.. You’d need to fire flower completely as he’s leaked team info, personal attacks and stopped picking players on merit.

      So, by your reckoning you’d have no one left from the current crop.. I lie, you’d have bell and balance. The rest have at some point stepped out from line, leaked or being propped up when woefully out of form

  • Strauss, “As an educated man I will not allow any evidence to stand in the way of my beliefs”.

  • Just to record the Hughes bile for posterity, in case the BBC think better of it and take it down:

    Cricket analyst Simon Hughes:
    “It’s too late, there’s too much baggage. Pietersen was lucky to get another chance after the text messages to South African players behind Andrew Strauss’s back. It’s like being unfaithful to your wife – you might get away with it once but not twice. His book was his own infidelity, times 50. That compounded what he had already done.
    “And look at the facts – in the last 10 Tests he played he averaged 34. His current Test average of 47 is the lowest it has been since 2006 so it’s gradually been in decline. He’s had injuries and I do think he was disengaged in the last Ashes too. He once had the ‘X Factor’, now he’s got the ‘I Factor’.”

    I never before resented paying the license fee, but the if we’re paying for this kind of stuff, I might have to re-evaluate my position.

    • Except that what he says is true, and a very large number of cricket supporters agree with him. As fas as Andrew Strauss and evidence is concerned, he is looking at the same stats, knows Kevin Pietersen very well indeed, and doesn’t want him in the team. That seems to be that.

      • And why are the criteria about declining averages not applied to Cook by the likes of Hughes. He also says with Pietersen it’s all about him ,with Cook it’s about the team. That isn’t supported by the evidence of the last year. I believe it’s more that Cook is ”one of us’. It’s the hypocrisy and double standards that sticks in my craw. I have never known a worse situation in England cricket than the total shambles of the last 16 months and there’s been some competition in my time
        That’s not just about Pietersen. It’s about many things and the absurd building of Alistair Cook into some kind of saintly figure is one of them.

      • “And look at the facts – in the last 10 Tests he played he averaged 34.

        So what were the averages of the rest of the England batsmen in those 10 tests ?
        I think you know perfectly well. and are being rather disingenuous.
        Bit like the ECB, in fact.

        The rest if opinion, not analysis. From the “analyst”.

      • Again, are you going to apply your logic to the other players?? Cook, what’s his avg in the big games ? What’s bell done other than in 2013 ashes? Balance only beats on sub standard attacks, Ali?? Buttler?? Anderson is only good at home.. Broad??

        You sir, are simply anti KP and totally pro ECB. You speak of ‘many many cricket fans’. As I’ve said before, the majority can’t stand KP, but they are now in support of him due to the treatment, the lack of reasons, the duel standards being applied (so KP is sacked after being the top run scorer, cook can’t buy a run for two years and yet is capt, saviour and totally safe in his central contract …

        Do you see why your arguements fail yet??

      • A very large number of cricket supporters agree
        Ah the Ed Smith silent majority again
        Copyright Richard Nixon.Or was it Spiro T Agnew ? One crook or another

    • Of course, Cook’s poor performances over the last two years mean nothing. Yet his single ton, against a poor attack, means everything.

  • Teece – I’ve never argued here that Pietersen *should* be recalled. My position is that he should be treated just like any other player and considered for selection on merit.

    If Strauss does indeed rule him out, I hope Pietersen continues to play county championship cricket for Surrey, to demonstrate what his merits actually are.

  • I like the Cricinfo headline:
    “KP crisis meeting after triple ton”

    Only in England could a potential test batsman scoring a triple century be ground for a ‘crisis meeting’.

    England priorities, in a nutshell.

    • Maybe not. But you certainly underestimate the disillusionment. I for one have already stopped buying tickets. They may sell out the ashes (in more ways than one) but I don’t think I’m the only one who won’t be going to any matches. They can ill afford to lose any of us.

    • You really should work for the ECB. Have you seen the viewing figures for England cricket ? Have you seen how they have to sell to corporates because fans don’t want to watch? Have you seen participation levels are dropping at 13% a year? You speak as though ‘fans’ want KP out, want the current ECB kept in etc.. Seriously the facts do not bare that out. 2005 onwards has shown how big entertaining players are valued, how big KP is formengland and England cricket. You ecb’ers are just stuck in a time warp

  • Playing Trott out of position as an opener didn’t work well, and there is currently no vacancy in the England middle order. KP isn’t an opener, nor is he a spin bowler: if he were the arguments for not selecting him would be harder to repulse. But there is no space in the England middle order at the moment.

    • It’s not a case of selection for the next test
      It’s a case of will selection be on merit as and when change is required
      I suspect it will all be dressed up in some guff about building for the future Just like we built for the world cup Just like playing Trott and Tredwell in West Indies. You really couldn’t make it up. It’s beyond parody.

    • As Peter’s obsessed with KP’s stats, he might be interested to know that Ian Bell’s averaged 31 since the last home Ashes.

      • I’m not obsessed with KP’s statistics at all, or anyone else’s, although it is clear that he is simply not good enough for England at test level. Always flashy and flaky is how I would describe his performances. He is different from any other player because of the way he has behaved and it doesn’t matter how good he tells Piers Morgan he is, he is not worth the trouble that he causes. That is my opinion. MY opinion.

        • Why is it clear? Whatever your criteria do you apply them equally to Cook ?Flashy he isn’t ,Flaky? Well, some dodgy dismissals the last couple of years Entertaining?
          I

          • Because this is not the reason why Pietersen will never play for England again. Trust issues over months and years between Pietersen, Strauss and the ECB. Why do you suppose that because I support Andrew Strauss that I also support the captaincy of Cook. I have made my position really clear about Cook’s captaincy. I would have had Rob Kee as captain pro tem and Joe Root Vice Captain a long time ago.

        • “although it is clear that he is simply not good enough for England at test level. Always flashy and flaky is how I would describe his performances”

          Fair play, this is one of the dumbest things I’ve seen written in a long while. That flake has an excellent Test average, 23 Test centuries, and is #5 on England’s all-time run scoring list. The only people on that list with a better average are Boycott (47.72 vs 47.28), and Hammond (#10, amazing average of 58.45).

          It’s blatantly obvious that you’ve no interest in facts of any kind. I would describe your posts as nonsense. Your opinion is nonsense.

          • No it isn’t. The facts are an average of 34 in his last 10 test matches and his batting was flashy and flaky which is why he got out so easily and so often. Too many rose coloured spectacles around here.

            • You used the word “always”, Peter.

              KP’s average included a series where he was England’s highest run scorer. Gosh. Pesky facts again. And that 34 better than Ian Bell’s average since the last time we won the Ashes. Cripes. And those 10 matches were against Australia, rather than the West Indies, Sri Lanka in England, or India in England (which helps Cook’s average in that time to the heady heights of 36).

              If he got out so easily and so often, he’d not have such a phenomenal record. You’re fooling yourself, and no-one else.

    • there is no space in the England middle order at the moment.there is no space in the England middle order at the moment.

      Arguably true, Ian Bell’s current form notwithstanding.

      But that’s not what we’ve been told – it’s that there is no place for him, ever.
      Unprecedented, pointed, vindictive… and lousy PR for the game.

  • It’s the old train crash in slow motion isn’t it.

    The ECB is now on par with the BCCI and the WICB for Keystone Cop quality idiocy and incompetence. It’s wildly entertaining from my perspective although I still have a great deal of sympathy with those of you who feel betrayed and let down.

    I look forward to being joined by many of you in support of NZ and Aus in the upcoming tests.

    BTL at the Guardian should be extremely entertaining over the next few months.

  • Its all bollocks, but sadly it is inevitable bollocks. The moment he wrote that book he completely nuked his bridges and there is no way they will ever have him back.

    The whole thing is just sad. The ECB’s conduct last year, the rant of a book, Graves’ comments and now Sir Strauss. Knobs the lot of them

  • Wasn’t it the act of ruling Pietersen out of selection contention immediately before selecting the last new coach that made it so difficult to find anyone willing to take on the role and left the clearly inadequate Moores as the only option?

    Well they’ve sacked Moores and are now looking for a new coach, and they’ve done EXACTLY the same thing again.

    Honestly, once was stupid, incompetent and unprofessional… but to make the exact same appalling error of judgement twice in the space of 12 months… You couldn’t make it up.

    They could make the management of the ECB a satirical sitcom in the style of 2012 or WC1, you wouldn’t even need to write a script.

  • And this from an organisation which clearly considers it acceptable to have taken the apartheid Rand.

    Men of principle.

  • From the Telegraph:
    Strauss: “The first thing to say is that I have never doubted his abilities, his record stacks up and he can be proud. But over months and years the trust has been eroded and there is a massive trust issue between him and I and because of that we’ve decided it’s not in the best short-term interest to have in the team. However, he is not banned from the side.”

    Curiously the BBC also published this verbatim – and then went back and corrected Strauss’ grammar.

    Still, one shouldn’t make too much of a minor grammatical solecism; public schools are not what they used to be.

    • If the Director of Cricket has a serious personal issue with a potential player that directly affects his judgement, surely it is clear that he can no longer do his job with the necessary degree of integrity and professionalism?

      In any other profession, in any other organisation, he would be forced to resign.

        • I did, thank you Peter.

          Another pointless comment from you.

          If Strauss has issues of trust with potential employees, he should not have accepted the position of Director.

          • AB you are being deliberately obtuse. Andrew Strauss one of only three captains of England ever to win the ashes in England and Australia said that Kevin Pietersen had trust issues caused over months and years with him and with the ECB.

            • He also failed to spell out what they were to us, the great unwashed.My feeling is that that there are issues on both sides.
              What was the point of the ashes captain reference? Pietersen played in both series as well
              Are you suggesting that we should take his word for it all because he was captain?

              • He can’t and nor can the ECB. It is a confidential matter between employer and employee. You would know that if you had ever been in a management position regulated by statutory employment law.

            • “Andrew Strauss said that Kevin Pietersen had trust issues caused over months and years with him”

              …which should have ruled him out of contention for the role of director of cricket. If you can’t do a professional job without letting your personal issues towards another player getting in the way, you’re singularly unfit for office. You wouldn’t get away with this behaviour in any other profession.

              I have tried to make this as simple as possible Peter, but I anticipate think this might still be going a bit over your head, for which I can only apologise.

  • Another way of putting it: ‘serious trust issues’ might be an impediment to a place in the team, but are clearly a necessary qualification for Director of Cricket.
    Just ask Stewart and Vaughan.

  • KP is clearly good enough.

    Without the book and Piers Morgan he’d have had a chance.

    That’s what’s robbing us the public of watching him wield his talent for England. Massive shame.

  • Well now that I’ve heard Strauss’ reasons for not picking KP in 2015, I bet he could have come up with some absolute crackers for not picking D’Oliveira in 1968.

  • Are there any cricket blog sites where normal people contribute? Sifting through the personal spats of the semi-literate arm chair cognoscenti is indescribably tedious.

    Grow up, see the funny side, have more sex or something and stop arguing with each other. It’s rather unedifying and makes for exceptionally painful reading.

    Let’s ask ourselves some difficult and profound questions and stop being puerile

    Is John Crawley still in the frame?
    What is the capital of Madagascar?
    Could we learn anything from the way Nepal manages it’s national side?
    Is there a mental illness or disability section in the ECB’s recruiting forms?
    Does Ed Smith claim Housing Benefit?
    Does Katy Perry look more like Fred Trueman or Michael Parkinson?
    Should we set fire to ourselves in protest?

    These are the serious questions we need to ask ourselves rather than wasting time with frippery and meaningless tat.

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