England in West Indies

[Leicester Fox]

Why drop Cook. He is making runs, just because it isn't a nice round looking figure in the scorebook does not make him bad. There isn't anyone worthy of replacing him anyway.

Can see us falling away tomorrow tbh, Ambrose is alright, nothing better, quality tailenders but still we are prone to the odd collapse.

 

[Sureshot]

Pietersen needs "a kick up the backside" because he is resting on his laurels, he knows that no matter what happens he has an automatic place in the team. That is where his arrogance comes from. I would sit him out of just one Test, and bring him back in for the second because a player of his ability can't be out for too long. He just needs that spark relighting. I am sure the best is yet to come, but he is letting it go at the moment.

That's a really harsh lesson. I'm going to leave you out of the next test, but you'll be straight into the next one because you're too good to leave out.

That's shocking management theory, Lee.

 

[WestIndian]

A very poor day's play by West Indies, bowling and fielding resulted in a great day for England, with 3 dropped catches of key players and the ever BS Daren Powell bowling like the adopted son of England batsmen has placed them rather well on day one!!!

 

[Skater]

Watch Pietersen on the second morning at Lord's in 2005. That is what I want to see, that is the real KP. He is a shadow now of what he was then. He is going to be 'the one that got away' in cricketing folklore.

Today was like the home Tests of old, when we used to be 300 for 3 at the end of the first day. It is refreshing to see some consistency between the Antigua and Barbados Tests, even if it is frighteningly consistent. We really should win this one from here if Antigua was anything to go by.

 

[King Pietersen]

It's called progression Lee. He's a different player than the one that bunted McGrath onto the 2nd tear of the Lord's stand. We're not going to agree here. So lets just leave it and agree that everyone else is right, you're wrong. Think that's fair.

 

[Themer]

Watch Pietersen on the second morning at Lord's in 2005. That is what I want to see, that is the real KP. He is a shadow now of what he was then. He is going to be 'the one that got away' in cricketing folklore.

Watch him in that Innings and you see a man who's being forced to attack because he's running out of partners.
Averaging 50 means he's Englands best batsmen in the last decade perhaps? (can't think of any one off the top of my head) and is definetly not the one who got away, thats Rampakash and always will be.

Themer added 0 Minutes and 48 Seconds later...

It's called progression Lee. He's a different player than the one that bunted McGrath onto the 2nd tear of the Lord's stand. We're not going to agree here. So lets just leave it and agree that everyone else is right, you're wrong. Think that's fair.

I think thats extremely fair, perfect summing up of the situation.

 

[King Pietersen]

Pietersen's going to finish his career as England's greatest batsman, I'm almost sure of it. There's possible doubt in Test Cricket, but he'll definitely end his career as England's best ODi batsman of all-time.

 

[Skater]

It's called progression Lee. He's a different player than the one that bunted McGrath onto the 2nd tear of the Lord's stand. We're not going to agree here. So lets just leave it and agree that everyone else is right, you're wrong. Think that's fair.

I'll agree to that. I have never doubted his ability, just his motivation and hunger. Strange, though, because it is the real KP that probably got you into cricket in the first place.

 

[King Pietersen]

Yeh, you're right, but being such a big fan of his, I can still massively enjoy his batting as I know he's progressing in order to make him a more successful Test batsman. He would never have been averaging 50 in Test cricket if he had continued playing like he did in 2005. He struggled in Pakistan when trying to play like that, and it wasn't until he went to Australia that he really worked out how to play properly abroad. It's a perfect example of the buzz phrase that Strauss has been using, Player Responsibility. He's worked incredibly hard on his game, and has developed his technique massively, and is a far better player than he was in 2005.

I don't get how you can doubt his motivation and hunger. You don't know him, and you can only base that on what's coming from the England dressing room, and all the talk in the England camp is, he's working as hard as he's ever worked at his game after losing the captaincy and has been hitting the ball in the nets as well as anyone. He's incredibly hard working, he probably works on his game more than anyone in the England team. So how you can doubt his hunger and motviation is beyond me.

He may not be the same player that got me into Test cricket in the first place, but he's still incredibly exciting to watch. His strike rate is still 70 in England in the last 3 years, I love the arrogance, I love his style and he's still got the Pietersen power. I respect the man immensely, and follow his career intently, and love nothing more than seeing him bat. That's why I find it so hard to take you just making ridiculous and ludicrous claims about him, when all the signs are that he's performing as well, and working as hard as he ever has.

The fact is, he's scoring more runs now than he did in 2005. He's still averaging over 50 in Test cricket, he's still outscoring everyone in the England team. He's just a different player now, and I'm glad he is, as it'll allow him to be far more successful. Players have to develop, he was just raw talent in 2005, and he's slowly moulding into a player than is capable of destroying every team in world cricket, and dropping him from the Test side will do no good, it won't bring back the Pietersen of 2005, and it won't help the team.

 

[Skater]

By the way, Dan, I found something else we have in common - we both like David Bowie's music.

I base my argument on Pietersen's aura at the crease at the moment. If he is going through a transition stage, then good luck to him, but I feel that one game on the sidelines would do him the world of good. Attitudes can be discovered by what is seen is public - all of us Norwich fans were suspicious about Glenn Roeder being a poor manager by his public behaviour with the players and supporters. It wasn't until he was gone that the truth came out, and we were right. Just using that as an example.

 

[Deleted member 11215]

The batting lineup is the best 6 we have at the moment so nothing needs to be changed there. Cook is showing he is capable of scoring runs and soon the 100s will come. KP is our best batsman and I have very little to say on the issue because people will always complain he's too flamboyant or not enough.

Good first day need to rack up some big runs tomorrow. I think we stand a chance bowling them out with the 3 seamers + Bopara and Collingwood also swann could play a crucial role again.

 

[zimrahil]

I think we stand a chance bowling them out with the 3 seamers + Bopara and Collingwood also swann could play a crucial role again.

I don't think our bowling attack is good enought to bowl them out twice on this pitch. Please let me be wrong :upray (for once )

 

[angryangy]

rofl at Cook. He's going to have to double his sessions with the shrink.

 

[King Pietersen]

Kevin you twat, let me guess Lee, he was too arrogant and should be dropped? Ravi's gonna score a ton though.

 

[Simbazz]

Thing is, would you drop Ricky Ponting? Shiv Chanderpaul? Younis Khan? If they had one or two bad games?

Er.............no.

Stop talking stupid. Pietersen can as much rediscover himself in the middle, as on the sidelines for 5 days.