Pietersen injury flags up question marks over England career

It’s a question which has been touted about for a while now, is Kevin Pietersen on the brink of quitting One-Day international cricket for good?

Well, the 30-year-olds troublesome hernia problem means England’s opening batsman in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 prematurely heads home.

The Surrey cricketer said he was “absolutely devastated” to leave the tournament, though the extent of Pietersen’s injury was there for all to see as he laboured in the field during the six-run win against South Africa on Sunday.


Pietersen (above) contemplates another spell on the sidelines.

As is the case, England are fortunate they have been able to call upon the mercurial batting exploits of Eoin Morgan, himself just back from injury, as his replacement.

The expected six-week injury lay-off will see Pietersen miss out on playing for the Deccan Chargers in the lucrative Indian Premier League, but England Coach Andy Flower has remained cautiously optimistic Pietersen will be fit and ready to return ahead of this summer’s home series versus Sri Lanka.

The England Cricket Boards secrecy in hiding the nature of Pietersen’s injury begs the question of whether there is more to the batsman’s demise in the sub-continent than first thought.

Before the World Cup, Pietersen had to sternly rebuff talk he was set to hang up his ODI gloves for good in a bid to prolong his Test Match career but this latest niggling injury only serves to rub salt in the wounds to a player – who in truth has been depleted of both runs and fitness in recent times.

The sheer workload of international cricket now means inevitable wear and tear for the modern cricketer, and perhaps ‘KP’ has suffered from playing too much.

Pietersen, who once topped the ODI batting rankings has had an unusually quiet few years giving the critics ammunition to suggest his England swansong is now over and that he is no longer the jewel to his countries crown.

Statistically talking though and some would disagree. It is all too easy to forget the remarkable feats the erstwhile Hampshire star chalked up left, right and centre towards the beginning of an international career – which in spells rewrote the cricketing record books.


The England batsman has not scored a ODI hundred since 2008.

But ever since he lost the prized captaincy of his country, Pietersen’s performance has dried up. When the South Africa-born player took up the reins from the outgoing Michael Vaughan in the summer of 2008, he started his tenure with aplomb – scoring a Test century in his debut match as Captain and then winning the subsequent One-Day series 4-0 against the country of his birth.

Fatigue and poor form with the bat since has seen Pietersen not score a ODI century for nearly three years, his last coming in Cuttack against India in 2008.

A succession of up and down series have followed suit, along with injuries.

Pietersen endured a serious Achilles problem in 2009 and many say he was rushed back into the first XI fold all too quickly.

The intricacies of Pietersen’s mediocre form are well documented, but his batting prominence in England’s maiden World T20 win and the majestic 227 he scored down under this winter underline his credentials.

Statistics aside, a greater analytical tool to examine Kevin Pietersen in 2011 is how opponents now do not seem overly concerned if he is playing or not. That trademark X factor style and fearless approach appears to have disappeared.

Although Pietersen’s career is nowhere near done in cricketing terms, if he ever wants to reignite the inroads he started to make into batting methodology, he needs to act now in what is a wading spotlight.

With the emergence of a strong and prosperous England team in the last two years, one of which that is more than content to do battle without Pietersen – the batsman needs to rediscover that cocky, self-confident and exceedingly positive self belief if he is to become his countries go-to-man ever again.

Whether or not jacking in the 50 over format of the game would help matters is questionable because if a fully fit and confident Pietersen rediscovers those lost gears – then he is well set to rub shoulders with the game’s elite once more.

Nonetheless with growing family commitments, millions in the bank and the fact England don’t necessarily need their one-time talisman like they once did, the bat is very much in Pietersen’s hands again for him to decide the next direction of a genuinely fascinating career.

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Integrity of gentlemen’s game bought into disrepute

Sunday morning’s law breaking allegations alleging the involvement of three Pakistani players in a betting scam incident to bowl ‘no balls’ in the tourists last test of the summer at Lords against England is a sad moment for cricket.

Off the back of two outstanding match winning knocks by Jonathon Trott and Stuart Broad, in a record batting partnership, much of the Test’s finest cricketing achievements appear now just a hazy memory with the News of the World investigative story suggesting fixer Mazhar Majeed made a £140,000 pound pact with the tabloid to organise match fixing involving the Pakistan cricket team. With the evidence of three, precisely timed ‘no balls’ in direct correlation to what was uncovered in the newspaper’s secret video, it brings a game full of gentlemanly conduct normally of the highest order into a state of shock.

In a list featuring a long line of rumours concerning Pakistani betting, surfacing in Australia earlier this year, the Test Series which England won 3-1 will be discarded to the memory bank. In a tumultuous day for the cricketing world, and with a full Metropolitan Police, among the various cricketing councils investigations under way the guilty parties involved need to be punished sooner rather than later.

With cricket exposed to an endless undercover betting network trying to bring the game into disrepute and as international players abroad are constantly being ‘tapped’ up but to use a phrase for their services, it is a situation which cannot just be brushed under the carpet quickly.


Pakistani paceman, Mohammed Amir (allegedly involved in 'no ball' scam) picks up Pakistan’s Man of the Series gong.

It is a fearful prospect that a special bowling prodigy such as Mohammed Amir (who has allegedly been caught up in the futile happenings) is being brainwashed by criminals trying to ruin one of sports special spectacles, but even more so now the game, loved by many. Now cricket is under the microscope if it is a real game, which people pay hundreds of pounds to be entertained by.

Pitiful Pietersen excuse ends six-year mediocre Hants stay

“Geographically it just doesn’t work- I live in Chelsea” was the curious answer England’s premier batsman Kevin Pietersen gave to journalists when quizzed about his future at county club Hampshire after his only appearance for the Royals this term.

This signalled the beginning of the end for Pietersen as far as his six-year Hampshire tenure goes, with sure enough the South African born player’s agent confirming his exit from the club this week when his current deal expires at the end of the season.

Pietersen’s stark determination to play in London makes his next port of a call a simple choice of two: Middlesex or Surrey. With the batter now settled in Chelsea with a young family, it’s down to who is willing to front up the cash to land the 29 year old whose availability through international commitments will be extremely limited for county cricket. Not since 2005 has Pietersen played a championship match at the Rose Bowl, with Sunday’s rare Twenty20 run-out being his first in Hampshire colours for two years.


Kevin Pietersen (centre) ducks to avoid a vociferous bouncer from Surrey’s Chris Tremlett in possibly what is his last appearance in a Hampshire shirt.

The ECB’s policy of releasing players is one that continues to frustrate county bosses as Hampshire Club Chairman Rod Bransgrove has found out in recent years. He added: "The ECB's policy of releasing players for their counties is quite opaque and I don't understand it."

Pietersen’s reasons for leaving Hampshire though make unpleasant reading for many. The England player’s time at the south coast outfit has not been success ridden and one feels how a quick trip along the M3 can cause wholesale inconvenience, especially as it is usually only once a season at best he has to make the journey to the Rose Bowl. The ego of Pietersen is supported by his star quality but sometimes the arrogance of the man creates a feeling of discontent towards his character.

Despite, a London stay in the offing for Pietersen, a role as a freelance cricketer should not be ruled out for a player worth millions on the Indian market. The flamboyant batter may have been the key figure in England’s successful Twenty20 triumph in the West Indies but it is Pietersen’s next six months or so in Test cricket which could define his status in the world game.

With a current Test Match batting average at just a shade under 50, Pietersen needs to have a big winter down under against Australia to be compared with the mark of consistency incumbent batting greats like Ricky Ponting, Graeme Smith and Sachin Tendulker share.

Resting ahead is England's key to the future

With seven gruelling cricketing months left in 2010, is it any wonder England’s management are contemplating resting players ahead of a defining period for Andy Flowers current side?

The euphoria and headlines of a magnificent Twenty20 World Cup triumph will live long in the memory, but with Bangladesh, the return of Australia and the Pakistani’s addressing English soil this summer the time might have just come to plan and rest ahead before Novembers eagerly awaited Ashes rematch.

England’s first Test squad for this summer’s proceedings will be displayed in front of the nations respected media on Sunday morning, but will it be a squad full of wholesale change particularly with opening tourists Bangladesh still not considered as one of crickets most challenging of examinations.

Twenty20 winning skipper Paul Collingwood and frontline seamer Stuart Broad, are among those tipped to be rested, and rightly so, because with no disrespect to the opposition England are now starting to build a collective team talent, whereby they need to nurture the players whom have asserted vast amounts of effort over the past couple of years, saving them for ‘big’ game scenarios.


Broad (left) and Collingwood (right) could be rested for England's Bangladesh tussle.

It appears difficult to foresee how and why players should receive prolonged breaks. Well, just look at England captain Andrew Strauss, for example, who missed the tour of Bangladesh. These players in question do live a charmed life, but now is the time where a month or two spent refreshing tired minds can really reap the rewards.

I can just imagine the situation now, when an England player finds themselves engrossed in a deadly hot Adelaide Oval, where a dropped or caught catch off Ricky Ponting on naught could be the difference between retaining or losing that little, coveted urn.

Key players are crucial and are talismanic for the team, but a glut of emerging talent is just banging at the door waiting to grab their opportunity. Middlesex quick, Stephen Finn could feature at his county home, Lords, but so could some of England’s Twenty20 starlets like Eoin Morgan whom seems itching to accredit his batting credentials in the longer form of the game.

Resting is sometimes a hidden charm as to the real reason for team change upheaval. Despite, an outstanding Ashes debut hundred, Jonathon Trott has since looked far from assured with the bat but one suspects he will have a fair few more chances to prove his worth this summer following a poor series in his native South Africa.

Forgotten man, Essex batter Ravi Bopara looks primed and ready to grab a Test chance should it be there for the taking, but it looks like the flamboyant hitter still has a point to prove amongst the English selectors yet.

With Collingwood approaching the twilight of his career, a missed Lords season opener is always a tough pill to swallow, but England have to look at the bigger picture. This team has announced themselves on the world stage and the coming eight months could shape the face of English cricket for a generation. It is that important.

England Squad for Two-Test Bangladesh outing: (Possible)
Strauss (c), Cook, Trott (or Carberry), Pietersen, Bell, Collingwood (or Bopara), Prior (wkt), Bresnan, Swann, Anderson, Sidebottom, Finn.

Blood and Thunder awaits in Twenty20 showdown

It has been years in waiting but tonight England, under the stewardship of coach Andy Flower and captain Paul Collingwood could win their first ever ICC event.

A win in Sundays ICC World Twenty20 final against great rivals Australia at the Kensington Oval would deliver England’s first trophy in limited over competitions since it was bought into the cricketing calendar over 35 years ago.

Explosive, consistent and in-form are superlatives that can be used to scatter over the team sheets of both sides ahead of this evening’s titanic tussle. The fluidity and sheer power of Kevin Pietersen with the bat has disregarded opposition proficiently, whilst the baggy greens ‘Mr Cricket’, Michael Hussey, is the main reason why Michael Clarkes outfit have a quick fire chance for Ashes revenge as he hit a stunning knock in the semi-final against Pakistan to overhaul the Aussies from the jaws of defeat to booking a place in the Twenty20 finale in the West Indies.


England and Australia Captains, Collingwood and Clarke, respectively, will go head to head this evening for one of crickets biggest prizes.

In 2004, England were sent packing by the West Indies in the One-Day World Cup Final, but skipper Collingwood who was on the receiving end that day will be determined to inscribe his team’s name in the history books this time round.

The stage is set, the coldrum is burning, and now it is just up to two of crickets most fearsome rivals to battle it out with blood and thunder to lift aloft the prestigious Twenty20 Trophy.

Match Report to follow after the game.

County Championship Division 1 Preview

Well it’s early April and the sun is shining, but there’s something in the offing which usually acts as a signal of bad weather to come: the beginning of the cricket season in the form of the County Championship.

County cricket finds itself in the midst of a wash-up of change. Gone are the days of the traditional 50 over one day competition as a new 21 side, three league format has been introduced this time around. And of course, Twenty20 is sure to dominate the headlines once again as many counties see it as a golden opportunity, not just for personal success but for the greater financial rewards it brings.

Tomorrow though sees 18 teams bowl off their seasons in Divisions one and two. Durham, the team to beat in the last two years go into this summer on the back of an unbeaten championship campaign last time out. Ever willing and reliable batting class in the shape of Michael Di Venuto at the top of the order give the north east side a firm footing to start, and let’s not forget an international class bowling unit with Liam Plunkett and Graham Onions, supplying pace, consistency and heart along with former England marksmen Steven Harmison and Ian Blackwell who appear to be enjoying their time in the sun with it looking unlikely neither of them will earn a England recall. Is a third consecutive title success in the offing? On the squad alone (which could be affected by players on England duty) you would say yes, but I’ve got the feeling they might have a difficult time in claiming three championship triumphs in a row as a squad with no fresh faces have to pick up some bad form at some point and I cannot foresee a as consistent Durham in 2010. Their challenge is to prove me wrong.


The ever-green Michael Di Venuto (above) adds a touch of class to a strong Durham batting line-up.

A whole host of contenders will be jostling refutably in an attempt to embed themselves amongst the title hopefuls. Somerset, now under the leadership of ex-England opener Marcus Trescothick will look to continue their enviable record at Taunton, a place blitzed in runs and batting opportunities. Batting should not prove a problem, even with the loss of former captain Justin Langer. The other string to their bow comes in the form of the south west outfits bowling make-up.

A steady winter recruitment of signings such as Australian Cameron White for the Twenty20’s gives Somerset some clout in the shorter form of the game, but they are missing a cutting edge in attack and they may well find themselves in treacherous waters trying to bowl sides out especially on a flat Taunton wicket. The addition of Indian spinner Murali Kartik is potentially a trump card for Trescothick to play to counter this though especially as the player has a point to prove after being dispelled from the Indian team of late. Last but not least, Craig Kieswetter. The explosive wicket-keeper batsman, of South African descent started his international career with aplomb this winter, sparking a claim for a regular one day and Twenty20 international spot and from the evidence witnessed against Bangladesh, Somerset may not be seeing as much as they like from the young prodigy this summer. Having never before won county cricket’s most traditional prize, I think Somerset if they hit the right straps can give Durham more than an extra run or two in the coming months as I make them favourites.

Also in the mix is Giles White’s Hampshire. The Rose Bowl club have strengthened considerably over the winter break bringing in solid South African opening batsman Neil McKenzie, all-rounder Kabir Ali, the near fit-again Simon Jones and Sri Lankan spin sensation Ajantha Mendis who will be joining the squad in June. These overseas additions already add to what is a strong squad, blending a mix of experience and youth with the likes of Dimitri Mascarenhas, Nic Pothas, Michael Lumb and new England test opener Michael Carberry joined by young all-rounder Liam Dawson and pace bowler David Griffiths. The outgoings of Chris Tremlett and Imran Tahir whom have provided Hampshire with a steady flow of wickets in the past couple of seasons, but in Kabir Ali, they have a man that if he can return to the form earlier in his career he could become the best strike bowler in the county championship. White believes his side can challenge on all four fronts this term, and with Twenty20 finals day being held at the Rose Bowl, the club will have even extra motivation to get through to finals day. Overall, a strong and talented squad will see Hampshire have a good season, pushing for the title, but I still think they have a bit more work to do in the games longer format but they are the team to beat in one-day cricket.


Kabir Ali (right) could be seeing a few more familiar sights like this in the county championship if he can become one of the country’s leading strike bowlers again at new club Hampshire.

Lancashire, another side searching for their first county championship win in well over half a century will be looking to hit the ground running from the offing. Coach Peter Moore’s has a point to prove after a not so successful spell in charge of England, whilst new overseas star Ashwell Prince will be determined to prove that he has got more tucked away in his locker then what he showed against England last winter. Under the captaincy of Glen Chapple, the Old Trafford outfit are sure to be competitive, but they look as though they are missing that special spark which other sides around them have. Maybe, just maybe, forgotten man Andrew Flintoff might work himself back into the picture, and like he says if he is free to play four-day cricket, there are few better bowling all rounders. A mid-table championship finish and a spirited run in the Twenty20 will be Lancashire’s 2010.

Former England wicket-keeper Chris Read leads Nottinghamshire into the new season looking strong and calculated. The cool purchase of South African batsman Hashim Amla should act as a spur for the side to attain some early season hundreds and fit-again spinner Samit Patel has more than a point to prove after being dropped from the England side because of issues over his weight. Nott’s, runners up to Durham in each of the last two campaigns are as consistent as you get in county cricket and with a mix of strong unity and youth in the side I expect them to mount another solid title charge.

Newcomers Essex welcome themselves into domestic crickets top tier, but a off-season littered with recent financial difficulties and questions marks over the redevelopment of Chelmsford, could see this have an adverse affect on their performance meaning they will find it tough to beat the drop. A heavily relied on bowling unit, could see them struggle to bowl sides out on a variety of wickets and Essex are relying heavily on Ravi Bopara coming good again at the top of the order. They need big runs from him. He has a massive point to prove. So why not? They are better equipped in the shorter form of the game, with explosive hitters like Graham Napier key if they are going to make it through to Twenty20 finals day again.


Ravi Bopara (above) will be hoping to re-capture the form he showed when he first burst into the England side for Division 1 newboys Essex.

Kent under the guidance of Rob Key, have not strengthened considerably over the winter months but they have a nucleus to a side there that is familiar with each other and their qualities. A proven batting line-up, with in addition quick strike bowlers like Amjad Khan and Robbie Joseph gives them a dependable first XI, but you don’t feel the strength and depth is there for them to carry themselves through and make a substantial title push. For me, their best hope of success comes in the form of the Twenty20 where Key’s instalment of team character and charisma has helped them beat sides through the pure will to win.

Yorkshire come into the season with a decent group of young players, but it will be the leadership of Captain Andrew Gale that will be key if they are going to secure a mid-table championship position instead of lurking dangerously close to the relegation places. The Headingley club's perennial struggle in recent years makes the club desperate for some kind of silverware. Twenty20 could be their ticket to success if they can strike a winning combination. The overseas purchase of Herschelle Gibbs should not go unnoticed, because in the South African they have a match winner and one of the games most feared batsman.


The newly appointed Andrew Gale (above) as captain will lead Yorkshire this term.

Finally Warwickshire and Ashley Gile’s reformed side. Traditionally a more astute one day outfit, the Bear’s will be looking to reclaim last season’s 40-over success and in spinner Imran Tahir they have a genuine talent that if he is in good form can cause anyone problems. A key player though could be young Irishman Boyd Rankin. The paceman is starting to come into his own in an attack which needs a leader and if he performs well he could be the lynchpin of Warwickshire success this term, expect a fourth or fifth championship finish.

Predicted Final Standings:

1) Somerset
2) Durham
3) Nottinghamshire
4) Hampshire
5) Warwickshire
6) Lancashire
7) Kent
8) Yorkshire
9) Essex