Mark Chilton – LiveCricket.in
Chill discusses cricket
Posts Tagged ‘Kevin Pieterson’
18th
It has been a while since writing and much has happened. The Pieterson/Moores affair has finally been dealt with but not without consequences. I wanted to get some opinion on how influential a Captain should be, especially at the international level. Should the ECB have given Kevin Pieterson what he wanted or are they the ones that put everything in place and then people learn to work together for the best of the country/team.
Personally i think the Captain’s opinion clearly needs to be sought but too much power can be a dangerous thing and it is crucial when making appointments that these people are happy to work together. Clearly Pieterson had his problems with Moores from an early stage so why was he appointed as Captain? Surely to the people closely involved, the final outcome wasn’t overly surprising.
It is sad that it all happened the way it did and is clearly not ideal preparation for the upcoming tour of the West Indies. Andrew Strauss has a tough job on his hands harmonising, what could be, a difficult changing room. I am sure his aim will be to get the team to be open and honest and try to rebuild some team spirit.
I am backing Kevin Pieterson to score runs in the Caribbean but whether the team will gel together well enough to force some positive results remains to be seen.
2nd
So the bonanza comes to an end in disappointing fashion for the fans and a slightly embarassing one for the England players. Not only did they miss out on the biggest purse of their careers but they also failed to perform even close to their potential on the night. The money is obviously a huge factor but i also think they will be gutted to not have given a better performance.
Right from the start there seemed to be a funny feeling surrounding the whole event. Kevin Pieterson made no bones about the fact that he hadnt enjoyed the experience and there seems to be a cloud over how things will go forward from here. A performance like the one in the final often screams of some sort discontent or lack of focus and maybe the players were uncomfortable with how the whole event turned out. I certainly think Pieterson is on the ball when it comes to preparing and focusing for cricket matches so i find the whole thing quite bizarre.
Although England didnt come out of the whole affair covering themselves in glory i think KP has handled it all with a degree of dignity and that we have the right man in charge.
15th
The reign of Kevin Pietersen could not have started any better. England have out performed South Africa in all departments, with the Captain immediately stamping his authority on both his side, and the opposition. He has clearly made demand on certain players roles and in my view been very perceptive with his choices. I like the Bell/Prior opening partnership, Shah at number three and also the extra responsibility given to Andrew Flintoff who has been asked to bat at number five.
He has also led from the front with both his demeanor and his own play, looking ultra confident at the crease this will give confidence to those players around him and definitely looks like it has happened with players like Bell and Flintoff both who are playing with renewed confidence. Long may it continue, a whitewash against South Africa would be a fabulous start.