Kevin Pietersen dropped for 3rd test by England for text message dispute

[Bruce Wayne]

Seems par for the course with England. After the Ashes in 2005 it was Flintoff who got full of himself and started messing things up. Now we're back up again and it's his mate Pieterson's go.

 

[Roger Milla]

**** him, sick of hearing about the arrogant prick. He'll be loving all this feeding that ego of his.

I hope he isn't named in the T20 World Cup squad that's announced on Saturday.

 

[chicoazul]

England and Wales mate, lest we forget.

Lest we ever forget mate. I support Wales at cricket.

 

[bluejock]

Simon Jones made Steve Harmison and Matthew Hoggard his bitches.

 

[linglong]

Seems par for the course with England. After the Ashes in 2005 it was Flintoff who got full of himself and started messing things up. Now we're back up again and it's his mate Pieterson's go.

In fairness Bruce, Pieterson has been given the kid glove treatment from day one,it was always going to end like this..yet i do think he'll crawl back at least till the ashes series thats the series that lays the golden egg and money is,from teh outside at least is all he seems to care about..

But quite correct about Flintoff as well btw.

 

[Bruce Wayne]

Worth remembering of course that his average isn't all that different to Alistair Cook's, and Cook faces the far harder challenge of opening the batting. Trott has an average nearly 2 runs per innings higher than KPs.

Compare KP to Tendulkar, Kallis, Ponting, Sangakkara, Younis Khan and the best batsmen from the other teams and he doesn't do so well, with all of those averaging comfortably over 50. Heck, even Chanderpaul has a better average.

So the best batsmen in every major side in test cricket has a better average than the best player in our side. No doubt KP is a fine player, but lets calm down all this nonsense about him being great as he doesn't even compare that well to his peers let alone the best that history has to offer.

As a 32 year old he could have done so much more, as players like Dravid, Tendulkar, Kallis and Chanderpaul have all flourished later in their careers. KP could have another 6 years left easily to really make his legend. Sadly that doesn't seem likely to happen now.

For me it'll be Cook that will break all English batting records. He's already played 82 tests and has scored 20 centuries, and is just 27 years old. Seems like a decent sort too.

For the record I think Flintoff was another who's legend outweighed his actual contribution on the pitch. He had a golden patch in 2004/2005 where his batting averaged over 40 and his bowling in the low 20's, but he never really maintained that for a longer period. Certainly not in the Botham class.

 

[Elong]

Cook is definitely a legend in the making.

Flintoff, always been a cult hero to me, do things overs couldn't but not consistently. Reminds me of Big Dunc for us.

 

[linglong]

Bruce i was going to write a long post agreeing with you but you've nailed it in regards to both Flintoff and KP cant disagree with a word you've said,its a brave stance for sure as it seems you're not really allowed to criticize either player,which is nonsense.

The numbers don't lie both players are not over rated that's too harsh but held in light that perhaps isnt justified,after all wasn't Flintoff called a pie thrower in the first year or two of his career but that purple patch saved him from slipping into obscurity.

For me give me team players such as Cook (a great player),Trott,Strauss etc than someone who really doesn't give his all every game

 

[Elong]

I think when you have such depth as England do, you can carry that "x factor" player who sometimes does the extraordinary. The problem is when a team starts to lose form and have a few bad results, they become the first player blamed. That may or may not be fair, but it does happen.

 

[linglong]

I think when you have such depth as England do, you can carry that "x factor" player who sometimes does the extraordinary. The problem is when a team starts to lose form and have a few bad results, they become the first player blamed. That may or may not be fair, but it does happen.

Not really seen much criticism of KP really until this summer i think,slowly but surely people are getting fed up of him and his antics,even now i'd say that its pretty much 50/50 for and against.

But for me the sooner KP leaves the better and i hate saying that but the disruption he brings with him is affecting the whole team now that much is clear,so now KP has said sorry but whoop in my book he simply hasn't grasped that what he did was wrong,he called the ECB's bluff and is now scurrying around trying to repair what he broke in the first place the mind boggles.

 

[McBain]

Cricket needs characters, always has and always will.

Lets all sleep on it and give KP a big hug in the morning.


*senses psychological weakness

 

[Degs62]

Kevin Peter Pietersen, born Pietermaritzburg, Natal Province, South Africa. He only plays for England because he upset the South African cricket board by complaining about racial quotas. Was lucky his mother is English or he would never have played international cricket.

 

[McBain]

Kevin Peter Pietersen, born Pietermaritzburg, Natal Province, South Africa. He only plays for England because he upset the South African cricket board by complaining about racial quotas. Was lucky his mother is English or he would never have played international cricket.

two Words.

Keppler. Vessels.

We'd have signed him up quick smart.

 

[Degs62]

Meh, the list would be endless, Tony Griegg. Mark Ramprakash etc.

 

[Elong]

Kevin Peter Pietersen, born Pietermaritzburg, Natal Province, South Africa. He only plays for England because he upset the South African cricket board by complaining about racial quotas. Was lucky his mother is English or he would never have played international cricket.

Tempted to start a whole new argument about racial quotas but I think I'll swerve other than to say they're not really the best idea are they?