ECB have taken the most drastic step in dealing with Kevin Pietersen as they omitted his name for the Lord's test. Pietersen's career was in speculation ever since his press conference on Monday but it seemed like that he saved it after a humbling apology in a video where he said that he was committed to England unconditionally this morning. However after news broke that he had sent alleged derogatory text messages about Andrew Strauss and Andy Flower to South African players during the Headingley test, ECB reacted sharply and dropped KP for 'undermining a unity of purpose and trust.'
The decision though not a massive surprise has taken the world of cricket by shock and just when the story looked like having an happy ending with KP committing to England, there's another twist. Even KP was expecting to play the next test!
ECB's move is backed on the fact that KP in the team disrupts team unity which is very vital and is an impediment to the proper functioning of the team. Has things gotten that bad? Unfortunately yes, and in the dressing room, KP is now an outsider and it is no secret that he is not exactly welcomed in the team. His suspicion over the parody KP twitter account was managed by one of his fellow team mates shows just how low the trust level between him and the other members of the team is. Without a doubt KP in the team does affect the team chemistry and considering the events of the last week, things are bound to be more tense and the atmosphere colder, but the fact still remains that KP remains the best player. ECB had a very difficult dilemma in hand where they had to weigh the positives of KP playing against the negatives of his selection and its effect on team unity and they have concluded that KP in the team is more harmful than any good he might do, leading to the unfortunate decision of dropping him.
While KP has done many stupid things and the sending of the derogatory texts is just another one in a long list, and does warrant being dropped, I wonder if the ECB are justified in dropping him ahead of such a crucial test where England must win to stay number one in the test rankings. The ECB very well could have waited for the end of the series and sat down to talk - and KP expressed his interest in playing for England just this morning has opened new doors of possible resolutions which could have been looked into - rather than rush into a decision that not only weakens the team that is to play the Lord's test and distract its players by more controversies but also further complicate what little strained relationship that exists between the two.
Something was going to give and it didn't take a genius to figure out that unless both or one of the two - the ECB (who are adamant that a power hierarchy is established and are not very tolerant to anyone disturbing that) or Kevin Pietersen (whose arrogance and ego stand tall alone) were willing to back down and settle for a compromise, the worst was inevitable. Pietersen decided to back down, but that just wasn't enough and the ECB has finally cracked the whip saying enough is enough.
In my opinion, the ECB have acted hastily. While no player is bigger than the team, it remains that KP is England's best player and the best XI England can field at Lord's has KP in it. So by dropping KP, England go into a must win match with the series and their number one rank in test cricket at stake without their best player. Bad mouthing your skipper cannot be tolerated and ECB are justified in dropping KP, but it is timing that is the problem. What is the cost of this disciplinary action? Surely it could have been done after the Lord's test. Also while the reason for dropping are the text messages, one has to wonder if all the other events of the week had any role to play.
ECB have made an example of KP and this will serve as a reminder to any in the future who might think of doing the same. Its a very brave call and often as brave calls go, they are foolish. If England win the Lord's test without KP, then a new dawn in English cricket starts - one without KP, and we might have seen the last of the swashbuckling talent for the three lions (though speaking of KP, there's always the unexpected) but if England do lose the test, and the series and their number one rank with it, this decision might prove to be very expensive and one that ECB might just regret. It remains to see if the decision will stand if that happens and what happens next for KP.
Whatever one makes of this ECB's decision on KP, the fact remains that we've all (the English team included) been robbed of KP - at least for the time being.
The decision though not a massive surprise has taken the world of cricket by shock and just when the story looked like having an happy ending with KP committing to England, there's another twist. Even KP was expecting to play the next test!
"I can't wait to play in Straussy's 100th Test next week. These things make me happy. Winning makes me happy." - KPKevin Pietersen without any doubt is England's best player and dropping your best player in a must win match is shooting yourself in the foot. KP's knock at Headingley was one of his best in recent times, and it won him the Man of the Match award. So here is a batsman in form who loves performing against the South Africans (so much that Smith is said to put his head down when KP walks into bat) and has just treated what many consider as the world's best bowling attack wwith utter disdain in the previous match and he finds himself not selected for the next encounter. Sounds very foolish. Very, very foolish, but that is the decision the ECB has taken.
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| KP says he's committed to England |
While KP has done many stupid things and the sending of the derogatory texts is just another one in a long list, and does warrant being dropped, I wonder if the ECB are justified in dropping him ahead of such a crucial test where England must win to stay number one in the test rankings. The ECB very well could have waited for the end of the series and sat down to talk - and KP expressed his interest in playing for England just this morning has opened new doors of possible resolutions which could have been looked into - rather than rush into a decision that not only weakens the team that is to play the Lord's test and distract its players by more controversies but also further complicate what little strained relationship that exists between the two.
Something was going to give and it didn't take a genius to figure out that unless both or one of the two - the ECB (who are adamant that a power hierarchy is established and are not very tolerant to anyone disturbing that) or Kevin Pietersen (whose arrogance and ego stand tall alone) were willing to back down and settle for a compromise, the worst was inevitable. Pietersen decided to back down, but that just wasn't enough and the ECB has finally cracked the whip saying enough is enough.
In my opinion, the ECB have acted hastily. While no player is bigger than the team, it remains that KP is England's best player and the best XI England can field at Lord's has KP in it. So by dropping KP, England go into a must win match with the series and their number one rank in test cricket at stake without their best player. Bad mouthing your skipper cannot be tolerated and ECB are justified in dropping KP, but it is timing that is the problem. What is the cost of this disciplinary action? Surely it could have been done after the Lord's test. Also while the reason for dropping are the text messages, one has to wonder if all the other events of the week had any role to play.
ECB have made an example of KP and this will serve as a reminder to any in the future who might think of doing the same. Its a very brave call and often as brave calls go, they are foolish. If England win the Lord's test without KP, then a new dawn in English cricket starts - one without KP, and we might have seen the last of the swashbuckling talent for the three lions (though speaking of KP, there's always the unexpected) but if England do lose the test, and the series and their number one rank with it, this decision might prove to be very expensive and one that ECB might just regret. It remains to see if the decision will stand if that happens and what happens next for KP.
Whatever one makes of this ECB's decision on KP, the fact remains that we've all (the English team included) been robbed of KP - at least for the time being.
4 Comments:
I think ECB were left with no choice but to drop KP after all circus that took place in last week. KP didnt leave any option to the ECB management but to shoot themselves in the foot. That has made the task of saving their #1 ranking even tougher, but they needed no distraction in the objective to win the Lord's Test and that's best shot and only shot they've got to save #1 ranking!!
"KP didnt leave any option to the ECB management but to shoot themselves in the foot." - I do feel you are right there, but I just think perhaps the ECB could have waited for another week, after the Lord's test to shoot both KP and themselves? Because now England retaining the no.1 rank seems that much more difficult. Plus an enraged KP is what you'd want in your team, for a crunch game.
@Christopher Poshin David - Agree, the ECB should have waited another week AFTER the Test was over. Same applies to KP. That interview that HE arranged and put on YouTube could have waited, just unnecessarily made things even worse, by unretiring from ODIs and T20Is and making things very complicated. Well looks like the ECB have dropped their last hope of the no.1 ranking in Tests, and as Steyn said, South Africa sense something special! :) Cheers, CricketNNS
hell to ecb
kp is a world class player
there are only few players who play good cricket for england
and kp is 1of them
and yes ny1 can do mistchiff stuffs through any phone
leave everything for now
its a must win match for u
u should get ur best players
do whatever u want to but do it l8r
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