Does Kevin Pietersen deserve the axe in ODIs?

[morgieb]

Just **** off Cook altogether. I couldn't really care if he's a captain - he's still a rubbish OD player.

 

[Furball]

Just to throw an extra spanner in the works, KP is pretty.gash at 3

 

[Uppercut]

Just to throw an extra spanner in the works, KP is pretty.gash at cricket

Fixed. There's your real problem.

 

[GIMH]

Lol wtf

 

[Andre]

Reckon the real problem with KP in OD cricket is the blokes around him. T20 they can all just have a bash and if it comes off great; Test matches they can just bat time but OD stuff is a pretty delicate balance.

For a significant period of time now (certainly till Morgan arrived) he was England's only genuine match-winning ODI option with the bat. When he first started, he had Trescothick in the side who was pretty dominant at the top of the order so that took some pressure off. Since then, so much pressure was on him to be the man that cleared the rope regularly and batted the best part of 50 overs to make sure they had a reasonable total, even just the other day in the Lord's ODI you could see how difficult it was for him to bat with a bloke like Cook, because all the pressure was on him to hit the boundaries and really get the board moving, and sure enough he played a dumb shot to try and break the shackles.

Reckon he could hit the highs again in OD's if Kieswetter really kicks on and Morgan stays consistent, it would take a lot of pressure off him. Problem is, though, that with Cook, Trott and Bell, you've got 1-2 too many nudgers in the side and a pretty inbalanced batting line-up which wouldn't be helped by the inclusion of someone like James Taylor. Plus Kieswetter is a bit of a slow starter it seems, so KP would feel the pressure of coming in with the RR at 4.5 an over or so and feel the need to really try and push things along - hence the brain fades.

 

[pietersenrocks]

KP is batting really well and the batting order needs real shuffling. Ian Bell has always been ****e at #6 in ODI Cricket and Kieswetter has also not done anything in this format, So the order should be like this KP, Cook,Trott,Bell,Morgan,Davies,<allrounder>.

 

[grecian]

Just **** off Cook altogether. I couldn't really care if he's a captain - he's still a rubbish OD player.

Yeah, he really is gash

 

[Howe_zat]

I think this innings has earned CK a go, even if it was riding on Cook's coat-tails a bit, and he is a slow starter. As I said before, the solution he offers is well worth aiming for. Jury's still out on him.

If we send the keeper down the order and open with KP - again, something I'd be on board with - we ought not play an opener out of position. Better to pick Buttler or Foster, to come in at 6/7.

 

[Furball]

Reckon the real problem with KP in OD cricket is the blokes around him. T20 they can all just have a bash and if it comes off great; Test matches they can just bat time but OD stuff is a pretty delicate balance.

For a significant period of time now (certainly till Morgan arrived) he was England's only genuine match-winning ODI option with the bat. When he first started, he had Trescothick in the side who was pretty dominant at the top of the order so that took some pressure off. Since then, so much pressure was on him to be the man that cleared the rope regularly and batted the best part of 50 overs to make sure they had a reasonable total, even just the other day in the Lord's ODI you could see how difficult it was for him to bat with a bloke like Cook, because all the pressure was on him to hit the boundaries and really get the board moving, and sure enough he played a dumb shot to try and break the shackles.

Reckon he could hit the highs again in OD's if Kieswetter really kicks on and Morgan stays consistent, it would take a lot of pressure off him. Problem is, though, that with Cook, Trott and Bell, you've got 1-2 too many nudgers in the side and a pretty inbalanced batting line-up which wouldn't be helped by the inclusion of someone like James Taylor. Plus Kieswetter is a bit of a slow starter it seems, so KP would feel the pressure of coming in with the RR at 4.5 an over or so and feel the need to really try and push things along - hence the brain fades.

If Bell was a 1s and 2s nudger that would be a massive improvement.

 

[grecian]

Still yes, but I'm still in the minority.

 

[Bun]

Haha seriously this is getting beyond ridiculous

 

[Furball]

Haha seriously this is getting beyond ridiculous

Pietersen - 85 runs @ 21.25, SR 94.44
Bell - 81 runs @ 20.25, SR 69.23

Neither player has had an acceptable series but at least Pietersen isn't wasting everyone's time when he's not scoring runs.

 

[fredfertang]

KP should certainly be rested against inferior opposition - so no more ODI's for him this summer

 

[grecian]

Pietersen - 85 runs @ 21.25, SR 94.44
Bell - 81 runs @ 20.25, SR 69.23

Neither player has had an acceptable series but at least Pietersen isn't wasting everyone's time when he's not scoring runs.

and, as I keep on saying both should be dropped.

I'm even going to use Godwins Law here, as the argument seems to be going round and round. It's a bit like saying you can't say Hitler is bad, because Stalin was worse.

 

[PhoenixFire]

Yeah I was thinking that as well Grecian, Bell's even worse form shouldn't be used as cover for Pietersen.

 

[MW1304]

Yeah I was thinking that as well Grecian, Bell's even worse form shouldn't be used as cover for Pietersen.

Cricket Records | Records | Sri Lanka in England Test Series, 2011 | Most runs | ESPN Cricinfo

Form is certainly not his issue. Going brain dead when wearing coloured clothing (and batting in the wrong position) is.

 

[grecian]

Cricket Records | Records | Sri Lanka in England Test Series, 2011 | Most runs | ESPN Cricinfo

Form is certainly not his issue. Going brain dead when wearing coloured clothing (and batting in the wrong position) is.

We're talking about in one-dayers, Tests are pretty irrelevant. No-one wants either dropped for Test Matches.

 

[MW1304]

We're talking about in one-dayers, Tests are pretty irrelevant. No-one wants either dropped for Test Matches.

I do realise. Form is form, though, and I see no reason why he played so scratchily in the ODIs other than a clouded mindset. Had he played the same exact way as in the Test series, he would have gone fine. That cheeky 50 at Lord's is the perfect example: came in from ball one bristling with intent, playing inventive shots and forcing the field to change. Just play exactly like that in the ODIs Belly! For some reason he decides to scratch around going nowhere, or just giving his wicket away stupidly like we saw today.

For the record, I do think Bell should be dropped, but was just stating that form isn't the reason for that - what seems to be an inability to judge a one-day innings is.

 

[GIMH]

Well Bell's poor form doesn't excuse KP. But the selectors may not want to drop two batsmen at once, if they choose just one, Bell needs to go first. I don't think its a pointless thing to discuss.

 

[grecian]

Well Bell's poor form doesn't excuse KP. But the selectors may not want to drop two batsmen at once, if they choose just one, Bell needs to go first. I don't think its a pointless thing to discuss.

Well the selectors are wrong then, four years 'til the next World Cup, now is the time to bring in fresh blood, KP will be 35ish then. He hasn't performed in two years now, not form a slump.

We haven't performed in this form when it matters for a while, major surgery is needed.