They need the cricketer Pietersen. Not the baby

Comment deleted by Site Moderator

As much as I like KP, no one player is bigger than the team. I'm a little disappointed in his attitude towards playing in the IPL. It's not like the bloke is short of cash with all the money he gets from his central contract and his commercial endorsements.

Morning Lads

Now a old timer like myself I love cricket, and hear your points about KP, but as much as I agree 1 player doesn't make the team, KP can turn a game when you look like your going to lose it.

For example South Africa I recon would have won not only for KP great inning s, which would have meant Enlgand would have lost the world number 1 spot.

At the moment the rest of the batsman apart from Prior have Strugled against South Africa s fast bowlers, Morkel, Steyn and Philander. Now batsman like KP don't come very often and at 32 I still think he has alot to offer the game, and for me is still a big part of the core for England, so I for one hope this is sorted out and we still see him playing for England

agree with jinky 100%. even as a non England fan I would be very sad to see KP retire

Anyone else noticed that KP brings issues like this up only after a good score in a match, or in this case a possible match saving innings. When his runs aren't flowing he doesn't make these statements. Seems to me he times things like this for when he's doing well in a hold you to ransom type thing, hoping the fans remember his last innings and back him.
If the IPL is more important to him than the greatest form the game has had or will, i wish him luck and will happily drive him to India to play in it. No disrespect to him, i like him as a player, but if you're not 100% on it, move away and let people play who would die for the chance to play for England have a game.

Beardedwonder

Question can England aford to just let KP walk, now yes he has had is off times, but for me he is the one batsman England have that can turn a game like SA game just gone.

Forgive me but you don't have a alot of quialty batsman coming through like KP and one that scores as fast as he does, Bowlers for me see KP as Englands biggest wicket, and why ?......Because he has no fear and for me is a exciting player to watch.

Would England be just fine without him, who knows but me I think not he is 32 and still has allot to give so I hope he stays

You may well be right Jinky, but i'd rather see a slightly lesser player playing for England then one who throws his toys at any opportunity he gets and is clearly not 100% commited to the team. Don't get me wrong i like him as a player and of course he would be missed, but he can be replaced and will be one day either way. Bring in a guy who will pull trees out for his country, not one who wants to hold it to ransom over his pay packet.

I don't know how anyone can defend him. Why people result to talk about his talent. That is not the problem here, the problem here is KP and nothing else.

His press conference was pretty stupid aswell. And, a good point was made above that, KP only seems to open his mouth when he has performed. Why didn't he mention this before the RSA series, after the 1st Test, a bit suprising it's come after he's scored a hundred.

on the field of play we do....

the drama,attention seeking,ego of it....NOT AT ALL.

but unfortunately...one doesn't come without t'other.

I am not defending KP on his attitude, but will defend him on what he brings to the game, KP love him or hate him is for me Englands best batsman when you need someone to turn things round, not only that he brings excitment to the game as he scores fast.

All I am saying which I am sure 99% of the England cricket team will agree, he is to big a loss if England are to remain number 1 team for me.

Put it another way Look at footballers that are over paid bunch of Divas..........KP earns allot but come on its nowhere near what they earn

For the sake of the game I hope he stays and it gets sorted out

How can a player of his quality want to quit test cricket to play rounders? He still earns millions through sponsers, central contract, part IPL, to throw a legacy away for rounders is pathetic.
Kev, sort your head ., or QUIT.

seems like there's no love lost between KP and strauss. is it another stand off situation with kp v strauss this time instead of kp v peter moores ? has KP ever got over losing the captaincy ?

I never knew there was beef between Strauss and KP, you could tell by his reaction at the start of KP's press conference that something has happend.

KP losing the captincy was a hard one for him to take, I have to say I didn't know there were tension between them both and its a shame if there is.

Strauss for me against South Africa has got out cheaply and for a catain should be at least in one innings set a example. KP the other for me brought England right back into the game, and this is not the first time he has done this. If KP annoces he is quitting the Test cricket after this then I for one will be gutted for him and for the game, he brings something that no other batsman does excitment

Leaving Swan out for me cost England this game as KP picked up 3 wickets, I know he will return for Lords but at what cost and will KP be in the right frame of mind if this is his last outing for England in a test game..................

I think Swann will come in for Bresnan because he's not producing with the bat nor the ball.

But I have a feeling KP will be dropped from the Lord's Test. The reason being, if he does have intentions to retire then he'll be told do it now and not after the series because of what has happend.

bresnan wont be dropped because of his 100% record.

We do need KP sadly. If he were a bowler, we have 4 or 5 able replacements.

Batting wise we don't. Root, Hales, Ballance, Vince, Bairstow, Wells are all promising batsmen for the future but a good few years away.

Stokes is the stand out, he also bowls but out of form.

Patel is not good enough, Compton 29 and unproven... I cannot see anyone else around.

We have a class main 5 batsman, including Taylor, not Strauss. Not sure on Bopara. Losing KP would be a massive blow.

JPB 100% record? england lost 1 test already. how is that 100% record. You need to bring players that have impact on the game. Bresnan for me isnt one of those. Your team struggled when the main guns failed, and bresnan wasnt able to do jack.
The fact is all of a sudden england start struggling with bowling replacements as well, despite speculating that england have a very strong bowling bench strength.Imagine both anderson and broad get injured in india series? and swann is already struggling with elbow injury. It would be a nightmare for england to even pick 10 wickets. give onions a chance. He picked more wickets than finn.(dat is wat matters)

he has a 100% record of taking part in the test matches he has been picked in

Viru, I agree.
Bresnan, for me is not one of our best bowlers.

In order: Anderson, Broad, Finn, Onions, Woakes, Tremlett, Bresnan.

Bresnan provides solidarity and balance.

Tremlett's england's best bowler but he's injured.

Woakes is a pretty damn good cricketer, he's picked up pace with the ball, can bat... Sometimes, he'll perform better with the bat then he'll perform better with the ball and it seems you can't work out what he's better at. But I'd say his strength is bowling.

Better player than Bresnan, IMO. Should be playing ODI and T20 cricket, but call me biased.

tremlett is a vastly better bowler than finn. totally different class.

Sorry, disagree, Finn is expensive, but he takes wickets and that is all that matters. His career has showed he can take wickets, but in an expensive manner. Yes, that needs working on, but I rather that then have economical figures for no wickets at all.

Finn has more pace, Tremlett seems to be better/more dangerous when pitching it short, but when bowling full, Finn turns Tremlett over for nothing.