What's new
The Front Row Forums

Register a free account today to become a member of the world's largest Rugby League discussion forum! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!

3rd Test: England v South Africa at Lord's Aug 16-20, 2012

Hallatia

Referee
Messages
26,433
lalala

I absolutely can't wait for this one. England need to win to keep their number one test status, South Africa should not accept anything less than a victory. Big triple ton coming up from Jacques.

There has been too many days between tests in this series. There will be a tour match in the interim - Derbyshire v Sth Africans at Derby
Aug 10-11, 2012.
 

Hallatia

Referee
Messages
26,433
KP saga is worth mentioning too, here is a good article about it and that press conference
Pietersen threatens England exit
George Dobell at Headingley
August 6, 2012

Kevin Pietersen could have played his last game for England after launching an astonishing attack on the ECB and other members of the England dressing room.

Pietersen, who has been unsettled for some time by the demands of the England schedule, refused to confirm that the final Test of the series against South Africa at Lord's would not be his last and expressed his anger that private conversations between him and officials at the ECB had been leaked to the media.

His comments are sure to be poorly received by those at Lord's and by his England colleagues. With a vital Test looming it is far from impossible that Pietersen could be disciplined or even dropped in an attempt to retain a semblance of team spirit within the England camp.

"I can't give any assurances that the next Test won't be my last," Pietersen said. "I'd like to carry on but there are obstacles that need to be worked out. There are other points I'm trying to sort out in the dressing room.

"It would be a huge shame. I love playing Test cricket for England, but we'll see. For me, the saddest part about all this is that the spectators just love watching me play and I love playing for England."

Pietersen confirmed that some of his issues concerned a desire to play more IPL cricket, a wish to spend more time with his family and his enthusiasm to be included in England's World T20 squad. But he also insisted that there were "a lot of other issues that are more important that are being sorted".

"It's absolutely 100% not about money," he said. "This is not a money issue. The politics is what I have to deal with personally. It's tough being me playing for England.

"There's always speculation. There's speculation every single day. You guys speculate about my life all day every day. I'm going to make some decisions that will make me very happy."

Pietersen's current cause for concern is the leaking of information he regarded as private. Admitting that it revived memories of his sacking as England captain at the end of 2008, when Pietersen believes that his private concerns about the then England coach, Peter Moores, were also leaked to the media, he seemed to suggest that public opinion was being manipulated against him.

"It was blamed on me that before this Test series I was grabbing the headlines," he said. "Did I leak anything to the media about the meetings I was having with the ECB? I never spoke to the media for one single second and it was me grabbing the headlines and journalists talking about me grabbing the headlines. I never spoke a single word to a single journalist about anything that happened behind closed doors that I thought were closed doors. So you guys are always going to speculate and make me out to be the bad guy. No problem."

The catalyst for the latest controversy in a career that has seen more than most - including his dismissal as England captain and his departures from Nottinghamshire and Hampshire - is the prospect of a new round of annual central contracts in September. Pietersen, who effectively retired from international limited-overs cricket in May after expressing a reluctance to make himself available for all ODIs, has also requested that he is allowed to miss the Test series in New Zealand in March in order to play a whole season of IPL.

While he insisted that, in a perfect world, he would like to continue to play for England in all forms of game, his desire to pick and choose his series is most unlikely to be tolerated by the ECB. The ECB, citing the importance of treating all players equally and the dangers of setting a precedent, demands that players are available for all matches if they are to be considered for any.

Andrew Strauss, the England captain, was reluctant to be drawn on Pietersen's words. He did, however, underline the fact that the needs of the team would remain more important than the needs of the individual and that it was vital England were not distracted ahead of a Test that will confirm which is the No. 1 ranked Test side.

"One thing I will say, and it is important to stress this, is that the Team unity that we have had over the last three years has been outstanding," Strauss said. "It is something we all pride ourselves on, always have done and will continue to do so going forward.

"I hope the Kevin issue isn't going to be a distraction. The truth is we want as few distractions as possible in making sure we win this third Test match. I'm not here to talk about Kevin Pietersen. It is not something I want to talk about at this stage."
Sauce
 

TheParraboy

Moderator
Staff member
Messages
66,138
lol, he says its not about money, but wants to play IPL instead of test cricket during that time

dickwad


Pietersen confirmed that some of his issues concerned a desire to play more IPL cricket, a wish to spend more time with his family and his enthusiasm to be included in England's World T20 squad. But he also insisted that there were "a lot of other issues that are more important that are being sorted".

"It's absolutely 100% not about money," he said. "This is not a money issue. The politics is what I have to deal with personally. It's tough being me playing for England

has also requested that he is allowed to miss the Test series in New Zealand in March in order to play a whole season of IPL
 

Hallatia

Referee
Messages
26,433
I understand England and the ECB's whole no one is bigger than the team caper and KP certainly should be no exception, but I really don't see the harm in letting the baby have his bottle. I think it would be far worse for England and the ECB to let that Headingly match be his last. It would be particularly bad because of how good he was in it. If he misses the game and England lose (which is the likely result whether he's there or not), fans and press alike will call for a major backflip. I imagine that most England fans would like to see him keep playing in all the formats and the press certainly don't want to lose him. England can't win in this, if they think the current situation is disruptive, it would be much worse if they punted him particularly given his most recent performance and the fact that he is the reason England remain alive in this series

I saw Wisden Almanack retweet this from a Sum reporter
Without exception, I think, the media want Kevin Pietersen to carry on playing. He is a magnificent batsman and gives us great copy.
 

Hallatia

Referee
Messages
26,433
Wow!:shock:
Pietersen 'fully committed' to England
George Dobell
August 11, 2012

Kevin Pietersen may have pulled off a career-saving performance as outrageous as anything he has achieved on the pitch by unconditionally committing himself to play for England in all formats of the game and apologising for the behaviour that led to speculation about dressing room rifts and his premature retirement.

In another development late on Saturday, the ECB announced that the squad for the third Test against South Africa would be delayed until 2.30pm on Sunday having originally been set for 9.30am, inviting the belief that England's selectors, having picked the squad for the final Test at Lord's, had been forced back into an emergency session.

Pietersen, who was facing the prospect of being dropped by England following a series of incidents that appeared to have driven a wedge between him and the rest of the England team, has retracted his request to play a full IPL season, reversed his retirement from international limited-overs cricket and withdrawn many of the comments he made in an emotional press conference following the second Test at Leeds. In a personally arranged video interview, Pietersen expressed his unconditional return for England in all forms of the game.

"I want to commit to all forms of cricket for England because I love playing for England," Pietersen said. "I am wanting to play all three forms of cricket again for England: the ODIs against South Africa in a couple of weeks and the T20 World Cup if I am selected. I want to make myself available for every single format of cricket for England.

"I am absolutely not insisting on playing the full IPL season. I am taking that all back. I will not be playing the full IPL. I will come back and play in the Tests against New Zealand next year.

"I've realised what is important to be. I've realised I can be happy. I've realised how much I love playing for England. I've realised that the last three or four days would be a sad way to go after all the happiness I've enjoyed. I'd hate to leave playing for England and I'd hate to leave all the spectators and fans this way.

"The stubbornness I've got sometimes - which is probably not a good thing as well - has led me to try to believe myself for too long and I've got to a point now where I've gone: play for England. This is what you love and this is what I want to do.

"I am fully committed and passionate about playing for England. I want to play for England. That is why I want to get back playing in all three formats of the game for England. I love doing what I do and I don't want to disappoint people.

"I've had a change of heart because of the reasons I stated. I love playing cricket for England.

"Money is not everything to me. I love winning for England. I loved the runs I scored at Headingley. I can't wait to play in Straussy's 100th Test next week. These things make me happy. Winning makes me happy.

"I understand that I have a short career. I can't do this until I'm 40. I have a young family and I'm the provider. I need to maximise my opportunities financially in order to have protection in later life. It's not all about money. I love playing for England and the runs I score for England mean so much more to me."

Pietersen accepted that his comments in Monday night's press conference following the second South Africa Test at Leeds had been emotional and unhelpful, but said he had held long discussions with a teammate in which many problems had been resolved.

"There's a press conference I did on Monday which I didn't handle in the right way," Pietersen said. "I was very emotional. I am who I am. I do make mistakes.

"The mood in the dressing room, in the last 24 hours, has been sorted out. I had a really good long chat with a team-mate of mine yesterday. We went through everything. We went through differences. We went through everything. I finished that conversation a very happy bloke and somebody who can't wait to meet with the team on Tuesday.

"I didn't handle the press conference well at all. I was in an emotional state. I did think there was a possibility it might be my penultimate Test. I said things I shouldn't have said. I know I have to clear things up. I want to clear things up.

"I need to pull towards the team. The team will need to pull towards me. I believe, in the last 24 hours, that's been done."

Words are one thing, of course. It is Pietersen's actions that will be scrutinised over the coming weeks and months by a dressing room that is somewhat jaded by recent events. There will be those in England's limited-overs teams, in particular, whose own positions are jeopardised by Pietersen's return. The World T20 team was picked at Edgbaston on Friday and must be announced by August 18. Whether Pietersen's backtracking has come in time remains to be seen.

But there can be no doubt that any England team is considerably strengthened by a Pietersen that feels respected, needed and appreciated. The brinksmanship between the ECB and Pietersen took their relationship to the edge over recent days but, once again, the uncompromising attitudes of Andy Flower would appear to have been vindicated.
Sauce
The interview is worth watching too
 

TheParraboy

Moderator
Staff member
Messages
66,138
he said someone in the England dressing room. But he mightn't know the difference

Im sure he was just being polite, and not trying to rock the boat further

btw, is it just me or is this 3rd test taking forever to start , still 4 days to go :?
 

Hallatia

Referee
Messages
26,433
second one took a long time as well.
They just had a tour match which Usman Khawaja was involved in. It was a two day acclimatisation thing, Usi batted alright before he got out. I think South Africa are sort of attritional at the moment. England have to go for the win in this third match, but I can only see them getting smashed. Hopefully it's a good game (which South Africa come away with comfortably)
 

TheParraboy

Moderator
Staff member
Messages
66,138
youve been training all the winter, theres not a team thats fitter....


J%C3%A1cques+Kallis5.jpg
 

Earl

Coach
Messages
16,804
Kevin Peiterson has been dropped/sacked for being an arrogent f**kwit.

Replaced by Jonny Bairstow
 

TheParraboy

Moderator
Staff member
Messages
66,138
http://www.espncricinfo.com/england-v-south-africa-2012/content/story/577063.html

Kevin Pietersen has been omitted from the England squad for the final Test against South Africa at Lord's, the morning after releasing a video where he committed himself to all international cricket, because he has failed to confirm that he did not send derogatory texts about Andrew Strauss and Andy Flower to South Africa players during the Headingley Test.

It was an allegation, according to England's managing director, Hugh Morris, that unless unproven undermined "a unity of purpose and trust." Pietersen made no reference to the text messages in his video apology. A five-hour delay in naming the squad was to give Pietersen the chance to confirm the content of the messages which he did not do.

Presumably he did send them and if South Africa leaked the fact they have now contributed to the removal of the England player they most fear.

A few hours after his omission, Pietersen released a brief statement. "None of this constitutes the end of my career as an international cricketer," he said. "To say I am gutted is an understatement... The entire episode has been demoralising for me and my family.

"The video I released was my way to bring closure to the issues I had at that time. I stand by every word I said in the video. I wish the team - and Straussy in particular - every success next week."

By dropping Pietersen, and dropping him in such an uncompromising manner, England have restated the absolute importance of the team ethic and will convince themselves that they have done all they can to avoid the circus that would have taken place if Pietersen had remained in England's Test side.

But the circus is in town, in any event - and the lack of England's No 1 celebrity cricketer is likely to be just as controversial.

It is Jonny Bairstow, who had an uncomfortable Test baptism against West Indies earlier this summer, and who returns in place of Pietersen after a century for England Lions against Australia A, who will bear the brunt of it.

Pietersen will now have to wait to see if he is selected in England's 15 for World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka next month. That squad has yet to be announced, but that deadline is fast approaching and if he was critical of the likes of Andrew Strauss, his captain, and Andy Flower, the director of cricket, as has been alleged, then after a disastrous week Pietersen still has an awful lot of apologising to do.

England's insistence that the game is bigger than the individual, central to their rise (however temporarily) to No 1 in all three formats of the game, has been impressed in the most rigorous manner imaginable. Pietersen's YouTube apology could hardly have been more clearly expressed, but even that video, published it seems without any prior warning to the ECB, seems to have gone down badly in high places.

Hugh Morris, managing director of England Cricket, said in a pre-prepared statement: "During the past week we have had several discussions with Kevin Pietersen and his advisers. Following a constructive meeting, it was agreed that a number of actions needed to be completed to re-engage Kevin within the England dressing room.









England squad for Lord's
Andrew Strauss, Alastair Cook, Jonathan Trott, Ian Bell, James Taylor, Jonny Bairstow, Matt Prior, Tim Bresnan, Stuart Broad, Graeme Swann, James Anderson, Steven Finn, Graham Onions






"A fundamental item was to confirm publicly that no derogatory texts had been sent by Kevin to the South African team. This has not been forthcoming despite clear timelines being set to allow the selectors to pick the squad for the third Investec Test match.

"We provided an additional six hours this morning to provide every opportunity for agreement to be reached but regrettably this has not been possible.

"The success of the England team has been built on a unity of purpose and trust. Whilst we have made every attempt to find a solution to enable Kevin to be selected we have sadly had to conclude that, in the best interest of the team, he will miss the Lord's Test."

Morris later added on Sky Sports News that Morris, Strauss and Flower met Pietersen and his representatives on Friday evening, a meeting that Pietersen fondly imagined had solved the issues. "We had a fruitful discussion," Morris said. "We got on the table a number of different issues that Kevin alluded to at his press conference the previous Monday. We have been working through some of those issues."

Pietersen had attempted a career-saving video performance in keeping with his flamboyant on-field displays by unconditionally committing himself to play for England in all formats of the game and apologising for the media conference that led to speculation about dressing room rifts and his premature retirement.

"I want to commit to all forms of cricket for England because I love playing for England," Pietersen said. "I am wanting to play all three forms of cricket again for England: the ODIs against South Africa in a couple of weeks and the T20 World Cup if I am selected. I want to make myself available for every single format of cricket for England."

But after putting back their squad announcement by five hours, to 2.30pm, England's selectors announced a squad without Pietersen, seeking stability and what they deemed normal behaviour above all other considerations.

Pietersen may now be expected to serve his penance for Surrey in the final stages of the County Championship, a return to the roots of English first-class cricket for which he has rarely shown much affection, with the prospect that he will be considered for England's tour of India later this year if he proves himself in a fit state to tour.

It might be a boon for Surrey who, troubled by the tragic death of Tom Maynard and grief-stricken resignation from the captaincy of Rory Hamilton-Brown, are in danger of relegation. It will be a character test for Pietersen that he will not welcome.

"I've realised what is important to be," Pietersen said in his YouTube appearance. "I've realised I can be happy. I've realised how much I love playing for England. I've realised that the last three or four days would be a sad way to go after all the happiness I've enjoyed. I'd hate to leave playing for England and I'd hate to leave all the spectators and fans this way.

"I am fully committed and passionate about playing for England. I want to play for England. That is why I want to get back playing in all three formats of the game for England. I love doing what I do and I don't want to disappoint people.

But that realisation has not brought automatic forgiveness. As much as he said "I can't wait to play in Straussy's 100th Test next week" that is one century he will elude him. As for England, if they do manage to break South Africa's hold and claim the victory to level the series, never will the basics of team unity have been expressed more forcefully.
 

Hallatia

Referee
Messages
26,433
team England are stupid, they are shooting themselves in the foot with the omission of Pietersen, for that reason too. Those text messages only became any sort of deal when England acted this way because of them
 

TheParraboy

Moderator
Staff member
Messages
66,138
I think the damage was done and the ECB made the right move. Pietersons backflip video apology might go towards him being selected in future series, but he had to be dropped for this test. Acting like a fruitcake and causing team dis-hamony then the ECB pick him? would have looked weak as piss, sorta like our selectors at times
 

Hallatia

Referee
Messages
26,433
I think the damage was done and the ECB made the right move. Pietersons backflip video apology might go towards him being selected in future series, but he had to be dropped for this test. Acting like a fruitcake and causing team dis-hamony then the ECB pick him? would have looked weak as piss, sorta like our selectors at times
a bit different to the Aussie selectors as KP's form warrants his selection. His last innings has to be the best innings in the history of cricket to be followed by an axing
 
Top