There’s no argument Kevin Pietersen should be in the England line-up tonight at Edgbaston on ability alone, shoring up a brittle batting order.
Despite his 35 summers he’s still one of the most dangerous batsman to ever strap on pads, yet he’s not been selected and purely for reasons other than cricket.
No sportsman is non-manageable, but Pietersen has been cemented in that role, and England’s cricket is the poorer for it.
I’ll bet Australian Trevor Bayliss, the new England coach, would relish having Pietersen in his team.
Sure, he’s a larrikin and a right royal pain in the butt at times, but that wouldn’t deter Bayliss from getting the most out of his talent.
Pietersen’s career stats of 104 Tests, 8181 runs at 47.28 with 23 Test tons and 35 half-centuries makes him as the fifth most successful England batsman in history. He is behind current captain Alastair Cook’s 9139 runs at 46.62, Graham Gooch’s 8900 at 42.58, Alec Stewart’s 8463 at 39.54 and David Gower’s 8231 at 44.25.
But being explosive with the bat doesn’t mix with being explosive on Twitter and other off-field activities, as Pietersen found out when he was dropped from the England side after the Ashes Test at the SCG in 2014.
He had his papers marked “never to play again” by Andrew Strauss when he was appointed England’s new director of cricket earlier in the year.
It hasn’t really been nailed why Strauss took such a draconian stance towards the obvious and proven game-breaker.
There have been various rumours floating around that he gave the then-captain Strauss and Cook a hard time, as he did with previous coaches Andy Flower and Peter Moores.
But he’s given plenty of people a hard time, especially opponents.
Hard to control undoubted talent must be harnessed as the Wallabies have found with the ‘Four Amigos’: Matt Giteau, Kurtley Beale, James O’Connor and Quade Cooper.
All four have caused the ARU plenty of grief over the years, but in Michael Cheika there’s a no-nonsense coach who has the quartet in his Rugby Championship squad and very likely the squad for the Rugby World Cup.
It will be interesting to see how Cheika deals with Cooper’s expletive-ridden Twitter outburst after the Pumas game. Cooper has apologised, it should never have happened, but it’s the first time he’s broken ranks for two years.
Bayliss would do a Cheika with Pietersen, but as he’s the new boy on the block he’s hardly likely to rattle the Strauss tree so early on his watch.
But if England lose at Edgbaston to go 2-1 down, Bayliss may well be sitting across Strauss’ desk for a rethink.
A batting order with the in-form Cook and Joe Root, plus Ian Bell overdue for runs with just one 60 in his last 12 Test digs, linked with the dangerous Ben Stokes and Moeen Ali feeding off Pietersen could be an Ashes-changing combination.
Whether Andrew Strauss has the bottle to change his position is the big question.
The fate of the Ashes may well depend on it.
charandeep
Guest
the best player from south africa who played for england & score 8000+ runs....the one who is man of the series in only icc trophy won by poor england.........#legend_kp24
JimmyB
Guest
All useless are they? Really?
JimmyB
Guest
How exactly is Strauss bitter, nasty and mean?
Axle an the Guru
Guest
What's wrong with someone who calls a spade a spade? Some people need to be told how it is, if they cannot handle the heat in the kitchen then get out.
Cornish
Roar Rookie
Personally, I hope that KP never gets close to the English team again, even if you can forgive his past indiscretions, 'The Book', in my opinion, was the final straw. Yes he is a great batsman; exciting and innovative, with the ability to turn a game, yet I question his team commitment. To often in the past I've watched KP come to the crease with England in a difficult position, only to watch him trudge back again, out for very little after playing a silly shot. When questioned, his answer was always the same, "That's my game." I accept the call for English players to play their natural game, play their shots and enjoy themselves, yet a number three must be able to dig in and put a price on his wicket. KP has not always done that. In my opinion, the team always comes first and after the debacle of the last Ashes it became clear that not all was well within the English dressing room. I accept that pinning all the blame onto one individual is both simplistic and wrong, England's dysfunction was far beyond a single root cause. Yet the body language of the English team with KP gone is far more positive and arguably Cooks captaincy more assured, though still conservative in the tests against NZ. England's young and exciting middle order are relatively new to test cricket I feel that they will be able to better develop as players within a positive team environment. After the accusations banded about in KP's recently published book, is that really possible with him back in the dressing room? Any return by KP would be triumphalist, both by him and his many supporters, (Think clouds parting and heavenly quire bursting into voice as KP walks across the hallowed turf.) What then for team unity? England may lose this Ashes and as an England supporter that would be disappointing, yet not unexpected. However the team we are building now gives me hope for the future, and team ethos is, in my opinion, essential for that future.
peter chrisp
Guest
KP no way why should he return, we all know although he's a great player but what he has been through, i mean he doesn't mess around with what he calls a spade a spade he will always speak his mind no matter what the situation, do you recall him to the side? Or let sleeping dogs lie?
Harvey Wilson
Roar Rookie
Oh no, don't curse Clarke that way! Just hope it won't be like when Watson was due....every time since the start.....
CW
Guest
Some blokes take to English condition like a duck to water. Some do not. Joey Burns appears the latter. He does come from a Gabba background. Could be part of the reason. Has a big chance to lift his game taking on India A in Chennai. Hope he nails their spinners. We need competent players of spin to start developing for our next tour of India in 2017?
CW
Guest
We will see over the next two/three days just how brittle the England top order is. We will see if they have it in them to comeback from the Lord's annililation. We will see if Johnson is getting into their minds again. We will see if this pitch finally offers all bowlers some assistance. By providing the batsmen with a true examination of his technique. We will see if England's fickle summer weather does not spoil what promises to be another enthralling test match. Probably the most pivotal of the series. The Ashes battle continues!!!
CW
Guest
KP burnt all his bridges when he disclosed all in his book. If not earlier over the Saffer text saga. I admire the man for speaking his mind. No doubt it was foolhardy as it has cost him his career. Got few laughs out of Swann's lampooning of KP on radio. Infantile in my view.
Damo
Guest
I agree that his triple should have been enough but if he throws in the towel and takes snipe shots from another Continent then he has even less chance than before. He also decided to chase the money and go play T20 in Windies. Imagine if he stuck around and made even more runs in the county system - the media would turn on Strauss, particularly after Lord's, and KP would have been back in. And yeah - the best bit is that they have plenty of young bats, they're just all useless :)
13th Man
Guest
because he made a triple hundred for Surrey not to long ago! Strauss still wouldn't pick him so he went to Miami for a holiday. Fair enough i think! All the Young batsmen? Like who?
Sideline Comm.
Guest
Burns has been having a pretty average run of scores in county cricket. Hasn't really done enough to deserve a spot right now. Hopefully some good scores over summer will change that though. And there's no way Clarke will stand yet, with an Ashes series in the balance. You'd be mad to think he would, or should.
GPR
Guest
You'll change your opinion when Clarke cracks a ton this test- he's due.
Damo
Guest
Wasn't he on social media on a Miami beach or somewhere last test? Is he even playing cricket at the moment? So why would you pick him and what would that say to all the upcoming young batsmen? Sorry but KP is done. He burnt his bridges and is paying the price now.
Jake
Guest
One of the few world class players England has.
Jake
Guest
"David my friend I dont know if I would call this English lineup “brittle” at all" Haven't you been watching England lately? They have been 3 or 4 wickets down for less than 70 is something like 11 of the last 12 tests. In their 4 innings against Australia they have been in the same position. Lyth, Bell and Ballance have been walking wickets and aside from his 96, Cook has been the same. I would call that brittle. It's been up to Joe Root and Stokes to save them. England can't lose if they reinstate KP. If he fires, the poms will have a much better chance of winning. If he fails, the English management can claim vindication of not selecting him in the first place. From an Australian perspective, i'm loving it that KP isn't there.
Another Pom in Oz
Guest
Kevin Pietersen...who's he?
Paul D
Roar Guru
David, I tell you right now, Andrew Strauss would rather lose the ashes without KP than win them with KP. Do you really think Strauss would give Pietersen a chance to write his own fairytale and go out in a blaze of glory and idolation? Not on your nelly. He's a bitter, nasty, mean little person, who hides it behind the face of a boring middle management type. KP is a deadset tosser, but at least he's open about it.
Peter Que
Guest
David my friend I dont know if I would call this English lineup "brittle" at all If Aussies lose the toss tonight they will be well into a dogfight with the poms Australias lineup except for Smithy is brittle as a bird also....Clarke needs to evalute himself and retire to Joe Burns The result of the entire Ashes outcome rests on the toss tonight and if history serves its role, it looks bleak for the Aussies, especially if this pitch is going to be another "dead duck" FYI i am a huge Australian support and proud Aussie