Cricket

I remember LJ complaining about the negative tactics all the time. Infact he even stated he hated the way england played he would support the Aussies this winter.

http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2014/jan/07/andy-flower-england-team-director-kevin-pietersen

Andy Flower's future as director of the England team may hinge on whether the selectors and the new managing director see an international future for Kevin Pietersen as the side looks to regenerate after the 5-0 whitewash in the Ashes series.

Although Paul Downton, who only took over at the start of the month following the retirement of Hugh Morris, has yet to begin his own assessment of the situation Flower, who has to take ultimate responsibility for the overwhelming defeat, has notionally already been given the backing of his employer, the England and Wales Cricket Board. It is believed, moreover, that both Flower and the captain Alastair Cook are likely to get Downton's official backing.

However, so adamant is Flower that the presence of Pietersen in the dressing room is detrimental to the future development of the side that he is believed to be prepared to resign his position should Downton, James Whitaker, the new national selector, and Cook – if he retains the captaincy – insist that Pietersen should be a part of that process.

Pietersen and Flower have issues that go back at least to early summer 2012 when, without warning, the batsman declared himself unavailable for one-day international matches. Following what were considered inappropriate text messages to the South Africa team regarding the then England captain Andrew Strauss, which subsequently contributed to his retirement, Pietersen was omitted from the final Test of the summer. It was not until the tour of India that winter that he was reintegrated into the side.

If true , I hope it's Flower who goes.

if flower cant get on with KP then Flower needs to go.

Yeah, I'm not unhappy with how this has all gone. The more positive force-for-good-cricket resoundingly prevailed.

KP not a scapegoat either. He looked more gutsy than some.

If KP goes and Flower stays I daresay I shall support the opposition

Im kinda with you lj except i couldnt support the opposition but i dont think i could support england

or at least watch it

who am i kidding. I couldnt give up.

i'd be even more negative than usual tho and bashing flower every chance i get

I'm never that wanker about football but alas I've always been That Guy who supports 'good cricket' with no parochial attachments (bar Worcestershire)

but that tour was a low point worse than anything in my 30+ years supporting England @ cricket. And Flower & Cook have to take the lions share of the blame. That iswhat 'leaders' do. KP is not the problem here.

three lions led by donkeys as they might say in football

I did watch Corey Anderson taking short-form to its logical conclusion instead of partying on NYD. I was ill ok

I did like Flower and he did a good job and if he had been willing to play more positive cricket then id be 100% behind him but if he has a problem with kp then Flower HAS to go. KP is irreplaceable Flower ISN'T.

I also blame Andrew Strauss for quite a lot of this

hah. Strauss was complaining England were too negative! I think it's clear Flower makes the decisions not the Captain.

Maybe that is the problem?

On a different timeline, the ECB don't appoint Moores and KP leads England in glorious Technicolor. A man can dream

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/cricket/25636332

Kevin Pietersen not a great player - Phil Tufnell

Phil Tufnell believes Kevin Pietersen's poor shot selection prevents him from being called "a great player".

The former England spinner criticised the manner of the 33-year-old batsman's dismissals during the 5-0 Ashes whitewash against Australia.

"He's a good player who's played great innings, but great players wouldn't have played the shots he has throughout this series to get out," said Tufnell.

He would know I suppose not being a great player himself.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/cricket/25638143

this dude knows the score

6.
Herman
31 Minutes ago

KP needs to stay. If Flower has an issue with KP, then Flower has to go.
I would not miss his negative tactics and lack of man-management.

Tufnell a mere 'character', player of not immense substance, public school chancer if I'm allowed free rein of the glasshouse

The fact Peter Such had any sort of Test career should tell you all you need to know about Tufnell. Croft always the best of that bunch

I'd even have Giles as a superior cricketer (with a heavy heart)

one thing for sure Flower and Cook wont pick monty. It's back to the days of a spinner being able to bat and bowl a bit defensively and field. Wicket taking is not important.

grrrr never ever mention that cunt in my presence again! Negative bowler who dropped Ponting in that much when Aussies were in trouble and they ended up winning 5-0.
My worst nightmare is Giles as coach!

Monty is not the answer to anything at all. He has always lacked any guile at all.

I HATE ASLEY GILES

I reckon England should go all-seam until a genuinely good spinner emerges. Or pick Moeen Ali.

Cook
Root
Taylor
KP
Bell
Stokes
Ali
Davies/Buttler
Broad
Onions
Anderson

imo

Andersons fine at home but does he still have enough in him to lead the attack on tour? He would get crucified in SA if he bowls like he did this past 6months. Hopefully hes just been overbowled and with a good rest and only bowling him in shorter spells he will be ok. but bowling 7+ overs a spell has to end. Hopefully stokes coming through will help with that.

All pace attack is fine in England but not on tour.

Do we have any quickies we can work on and maybe introduce in a year or 2?

They've targeted Tymal Mills because he's fast. Speed alone ain't enough. Work on Finn imo

Oh, and Jamie Overton is the other young speedsta

Like I said. Get to work with them. Prepare them. They did it for KP by identifying a talent and working with him until he was ready.
Fuck knows what the coaches have done to Finn. They really need to go.

Bowling coaches should concentrate on psychology above technique. England's recent bowling coaches clearly not doing this with younger bowlers.

swann and anderson hated KP. now Swann has gone maybe things will improve? Or will Anderson and other players say they dont want KP in and back Flower? I can see it coming to that if the ECB dont back flower to dump KP.

If Flower hasn't denied that Guardian story by tomorrow then it must be true and we will have seen the last of KP (and be a laughing stock to other countries).

Clearly they cant drop him due to form as he still outscored and out averaged the other batsmen and they would need to be dropped too.
As for age clarke/rogers/haddin are all older.

good news :)

http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2014/jan/08/andy-flower-kevin-pietersen-england-future?INTCMP=ILCNETTXT3487

wow
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/cricket/25650615

All very Phil Brown

Thrilling Test breaking out between Pakistan and Sri Lanka

Kumar Sangakkara bowling in a Test, y'all

Misbah likes getting out in the 90s doesn't he.

Dead jet lagged today, but I'm sure you'll all be on tenterhooks to hear my Melbourne/ Sydney Ashes thoughts. If you can't wait I was actually quoted in the Guardian in this article:
http://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2014/jan/04/ashes-2013-14-england

Cook you are a fucking useless captain. resign now ffs

bollocks

i.e. that is bollocks, it wasn't Cook's captaincy that was the problem, just as it wasn't his captaincy that was the problem during the Ashes

he doesnt have a clue

I think that's wrong. Arguably he shouldn't have bowled Stokes in the penultimate over, but what else do you think he did badly?

Bopara had the best figures yet he didnt bowl at the end. Stokes had been flogged all game. He doesnt have a clue. I'm done with him as captain.

you lose a test series 5-0 where everyone knew at 2-0 it was going to be 5-0 and this clown is still captain beggars belief. He is not a good captain. Hes not even been good enough to play in the team this past year yet KP is the one ppl want to kick out.

yes "everyone" knew that. I don't think his form has been poor enough to be dropped. The calls to drop KP are because he's a disruptive influence. Until someone comes along who is better able to lead the team, Cook is the best we have.

you worry that KP is going to be scapegoated, I think dropping Cook as player or captain would be a similar knee-jerk reaction. Sorry to appeal to authority, but not a single commentator has seriously suggested Cook should be dropped.

im talking abut being dropped as captain

and no one, to my knowledge, is currently suggesting he should stop being captain, even one-eyed Aussies

(sorry to any optically challenged Antipodeans who might be reading this)