If I weren’t Australian, England’s first round exit at this year’s Cricket World Cup would look sad rather than embarrassing to me.
Its brand of ODI cricket is stuck in an era where a first innings score of 250, whether the English batted first or second, was near impossible to chase.
Peter Moores, the ECB and Eion Morgan will be savaged by the media once British Airways gets them home to Heathrow and they deserve every bit of it.
Moores and the ECB’s decision to give Morgan the captaincy with limited preparation was a panic move not unlike political parties changing leaders due to polls. Morgan, meanwhile, looked burdened at all times during their Australian nightmare with his tactics and batting suffering under the weight of the job.
Yet for the sins of management, all 15 members of the squad must take the blame with not one player worthy of a pass mark for the cup. Gary Ballance, Joe Root and Ian Bell have great skills that suit Test cricket yet all three go missing when they put on the pyjama uniforms in big matches.
Alarmingly, England’s batsmen struggled when the ball began to swing, a notion previously unthinkable considering the conditions English players learn their trade in. Meanwhile, in the bowling department, England’s bowlers have lost their mojo.
Fifteen months ago James Anderson and Stuart Broad’s bowling partnership was as feared as Dennis Lillee-Jeff Thompson, yet now their partnership has more in common with Morecambe and Wise. Moeen Ali is a solid spinner who is still finding his way while Steve Finn racked up hits to his name at a rate not seen by a Finn in Australasia since Neil and Tim led Split Enz.
The ECB will now have to move beyond Band-Aid solutions and conduct major surgery on its ailing national team or face the distinct possibility of sliding below associate nations in ICC rankings.
But while there will be many calls for different approaches to the problem the ECB must not look to the past and recall Kevin Pietersen. There are many valid arguments as to why the swashbuckling South African should return to the fold after his dismissal in 2014.
He is still a unique talent with a track record in ODI cricket that no-one in the current squad could match, while his cockiness would benefit a team lacking in confidence. However not only would his return add venom to an environment where he is still detested in some quarters, a KP reappearance would be short-term solution to a problem that needs long-term solutions.
Pietersen will be 35 this year and with England hosting the World Cup in four years it would be unlikely for KP to play through until 2019. He may help produce the odd series win for a few years but his place in the team would stymie the needed change to England’s set up.
The English need to prioritise blooding players who can ensure England make and defend 300 in an ODI match ASAP. The identified players need four solid years of developing their ability to play international cricket before the nation hosts cricket’s showpiece tournament.
Playing Pietersen because he’s the current choice of the masses would give instant gratification to an angry supporter base, but it won’t solve the ultimate problem question facing English cricket – who is the next Kevin Pietersen?
At this stage in the cycle it cannot be a man who is close to the end of his career, it has to be someone young who can be nurtured over a four-year period.
Kevin Pietersen may have a role to play in revitalising English cricket but it has to be on the other side of the boundary rope. He carries too many scars of the past, and at a time when the game needs a fresh start English cricket must leave the past where it belongs.
jammel
Guest
I think it is pretty clear now that Pietersen should have been there… It's less clear on Stokes - he'd been out of form in 50 over stuff for a while. But neither would have made a great difference. England need to think about and update their ODI philosophy - but that will take some time. Get back onto focussing on Tests and then worry about ODIs at some point in the future would be my advice.
Rich
Guest
England's ECB needs a complete replacement. It's whole attitude and arrogance is a laughing stock to all foreign cricket lovers and a huge embarrassment to us in UK. There seems to be some big problem in the dressing room where players do not perform for England as they do for their Counties. The selection of players is very confusing, quite a few really good players not selected and worn out oldies still playing. The biggest sacrilege is the way the ECB dealt with Kevin Pieterson who was and still is England's best player who should be brought back immediately without question and without the requirement to prove himself which he has already done on numerous occasions. He is a free spirit who plays without fear but also trains hard and plays to his best ability. There are a few others who do the same but never even looked at. Most of the English commentators who are ex cricketers have very little respect for the ECB and have similar views as myself. I used to play in a cricket league in Kenya many years ago to what I thought was a reasonable good standard and even in those days our attitude to the game was far more proactive and aggressive than that of the England team today and for many years before. I am a great supporter of England cricket and wish them to do well but I am extremely disappointed at the situation we are in. Come on let's change completely and give everything we have to drastically improve the attitude and get respect again. Rich.
dan ced
Guest
Lol, Cossie. He confuses batsmen into giving him their wicket. Hasn't set the world on fire this season sadly. I want Klinger back. NO. I want Klinger in one of the Aussie squads actually.
Targa
Guest
If New Zealand had lost 4 out of their 5 games there would be the same articles about Jesse Ryder. I think England are better of without KP.
Freighter
Guest
The problem was England didn't sack Pietersen because he didn't fit their culture, they sack Pietersen to try and create a culture. They are two very different things. A strong team culture would have overcome pieterson's rubbish and pulled him into line- but they didn't have one, and it was also evident they didn't have one by how they played on the field.
Don Freo
Guest
I wonder if the POMs know that Sam Whiteman and Mark Cosgrove are eligible to play for the Poms. Cossie would be useful in ODIs. He could open the bowling with his mediums.
13th Man
Guest
England look better with KP than without him. Maybe not the long term fix (Joe Root looks to be the long term skipper) but in short term KP would be a great addition to the side especially in the shorter formats.
Anthony Condon
Guest
Sir cliff may be busy singing duets with Rolf.
Harvey Wilson
Roar Rookie
True, but in the short term he might be able to provide guidance to younger players.
Julian King
Roar Guru
KP has played over 200 test and ODIs combined for his country and worn the captain's armband. Clearly he's not unmanageable. There's a deep structural flaw in the England setup, and Pietersen alone is not the panacea. That being said, it's hard to see how they were better off without him.
Don Freo
Guest
How about Viv and Rick and the rest of The Young Ones (who must, by now, be sufficiently gentrified) to run the ECB and appoint KP as coach. Maybe add Sir Cliff to give the boys a bit of a hurry up! That should freshen things up.
Slim
Guest
Those timid poms need to break the shackles, add people now that will be part of their four year cycle to world cup 2019. I will make a start. For Tests: Jamie Overton. Tymal Millls, Adam Riley, Harry Gurney and Adam Lyth. Cook for NOW stays as test captain. For One Dayers: new captain would be Joe Root with Joss Buttler staying on as v/c. Open with Alex Hales and James Vince. Joss at no.4. Re-consider Ben Stokes. Dispence with E Morgan, J Taylor, G Balance, I Bell, S Broad and J Anderson, S Finn and C Jordan- horrible bowling lines.
dan ced
Guest
I was looking at List A career averages. Trott, Taylor and Balance are the only poms in the top 30 (Klinger at #38 above many peers that have been selected for AUS fyi). They should persist with those batters. Jason Roy if they want some more slog. KP would do fine. I think the worst part of their game is their bowling. Is Plunkett any good? had had decent stats in the most recent Lions matches.
Omar Leroux
Guest
Kevin Pietersen is 34 years old. He isn't what they need to rebuild for the future.
felix
Guest
Too late for KP but he would of been a valuable addition to the WC,England needed atleast 1 batsman to show the rest that cricket aint so difficult and complex as they made it out to be this WC.
Pope Paul VII
Guest
Yep the answer is to recall David Steele and John Snow because at least they'll give it a crack. The Ashes is looking pretty onesided.
Ryan O'Connell
Expert
Precisely.
AlanKC
Guest
He might not be the answer but their handling of him sure is a sign of what's contributing to their problems.
Kaks
Roar Guru
Those few players being Anderson and Broad who have been terrible for two years now and dont deserve to be in the team
GD66
Guest
It would certainly help, Harvey, and I've yet to see a valid reason given for the baffling omission of Stokes.