Cricket

[Chazza]

Well said Fred.

[Red_Polo]

Apparently there's no question that the Cook/KP disagreement took place...Cook felt they were fitter than us and that it was a big factor in them thrashing us, KP disagreed and felt we were short on skills. From the outside looking in it's not hard to disagree with Pietersen

Cook sounds like Moyes.

"Right lads, get running up those hills for three hours then we'll have a ten minute net at the end"

Absolutely

Even if fitness was a big issue, you're not going to make significant gains on in that quickly. Plus the intensity required to make fitness gains would surely tire them. It just doesn't make sense when specific technical things could be worked on instead. Bizarre.

[ChesterDave]

When does the IPL start? Watched quite a bit of the Big Bash recently and its been decent. These T20 championships are good fun.

Auction was quite recent - last few days - normally mid march to early May IIRC

Edit: My mistake, the auction has not taken place. The IPL Facebook page posted about the list and I assumed it had taken place.

http://www.iplt20.com/news/2014/announcements/4272/list-of-players-featuring-in-2014-pepsi-ipl-player-auction

12 and 13 Feb for the Auction, I think Delhi have not retained any of their team so will be busy at that auction

[Buzzo]

Interesting read. Great interview from Flintoff, asking a lot of pertinent questions.

[Alex]

Its strange that in a lot of team sports that the Team is more than the individual. Which means trouble makers are usually on the outside.

But cricket is such an individual sport it almost doesnt matter. Give him a separate changing room and just let him do his own thing. As long as he knows the plans to attack each bowler and when to run he doesnt need to be part of the set up.

[Alex]

ICC have approved those Test Cricket reforms. Main points below

- New executive committee: A five-man executive committee with permanent seats for India, England and Australia will be introduced. The committee will make recommendations to the ICC board, which remains the decision-making body

- India's Srinivasan to chair ICC board: N. Srinivasan, president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India, will become the ICC board chairman from July 2014

- New financial model: Full members gain greater financial recognition based on their contributions in terms of finance, their ICC history and on-field performances

- Test Cricket Fund: A Test Cricket Fund will be introduced to guarantee all 10 Test-playing nations will be in position to host a home series through to 2023

- Future Tours Programme: Members will strike binding, bilateral agreements "as a matter of urgency" with the aim of extending the programme until 2023

- World Test Championship axed: The Champions Trophy one-day tournament will continue in 2017 and 2021, replacing plans for a World Test Championship

- Pathway to Test cricket: The winner of the next ICC Intercontinental Cup will play-off against the bottom-ranked full member with the prize of gaining Test status. The existing full member will retain Test status.

[captainfog]

J kimber has written some great stuff on those changes for ESPN. Well worth a read.

[Alex]

Link?

[captainfog]

http://www.espncricinfo.com/magazine/content/story/710789.html

[Chazza]

The England and Wales Cricket Board are expected to release a statement later today to clarify the reasons for axing Kevin Pietersen.

The ECB have agreed terms to compensate Pietersen once his central contract is terminated, effectively ending his controversial international career.

It is believed the ECB will cite a lack of trust as their main reason for dropping the batsman, who was England's leading run-scorer in the disastrous Ashes whitewash this winter.

England are looking to rebuild with a major emphasis on team ethics, and the ECB are apparently convinced that Pietersen could be a disruptive influence in the team dressing room.

Former England captain Andrew Strauss believes a "total absence of trust" was central to Pietersen being ousted, although he does not believe the ECB will single out any particular incidents.

"Without trust, the team environment is stillborn," Strauss told The Sunday Times. "It is for this reason that Kevin Pietersen's international career had to be brought to an end.

Smoking gun

"The media have been searching for a 'smoking gun'. Everyone is looking for disciplinary problems, bust-ups and character clashes, but they are looking for the wrong thing. The smoking gun is the total absence of trust."

Strauss believes Pietersen's sacking as England captain in 2009 was the start of the breakdown in relations with the authorities.

He also described the 'reintegration' process which followed his exile from the team after some derogatory texts were sent to South African players about Strauss as being "a little like marriage counselling".

Srauss added: "What happened in Australia from November onwards, when the heat of the furnace was fixed on the embattled side, was that old grievances came back to the surface. Past history weighed too heavily. Trust still did not exist.

"His relationship with English cricket has been like an illicit affair. Full of thrills and excitement but destined to end in tears."

http://www1.skysports.com/cricket/news/12173/9158228/ecb-set-to-outline-reasons-for-ousting-kevin-pietersen

[Chazza]

The England and Wales Cricket Board have announced that Kevin Pietersen was axed because they could not trust him to give his full support to captain Alastair Cook.

The ECB released a statement criticising the "unwarranted and unpleasant" reaction to Pietersen's ousting last week, with Cook, former Test team director Andy Flower and wicketkeeper Matt Priot coming in for particular scorn.

The statement insisted Cook needed the support and trust of all his team-mates as England look to rebuild following their drubbing in Australia.

It was also confirmed that the ECB has reached an agreement with Pietersen over his release from his central contract, which effectively ends his international career.

The statement read: "It has been a matter of great frustration that until now the England and Wales Cricket Board has been unable to respond to the unwarranted and unpleasant criticism of England players and the ECB itself, which has provided an unwelcome backdrop to the recent negotiations to release Kevin Pietersen from his central contract.

"Those negotiations have been successfully concluded and whilst both parties remain bound by confidentiality provisions the ECB would like to make the following comments.

"The ECB recognises the significant contribution Kevin has made to England teams over the last decade. He has played some of the finest innings ever produced by an England batsman.

"However, the England team needs to rebuild after the whitewash in Australia. To do that we must invest in our captain Alastair Cook and we must support him in creating a culture in which we can be confident he will have the full support of all players, with everyone pulling in the same direction and able to trust each other.

"It is for those reasons that we have decided to move on without Kevin Pietersen."

The ECB hinted that Pietersen's past misdemeanours contributed to the decision, and that the fierce criticism from cricket fans and media over the last few days has been "uninformed and unwarranted".

The batsman was sacked as England captain in 2009 following a series of bust-ups with the then head coach Peter Moores.

Three years later he was infamously "reintegrated" into the squad after being found guilty of sending derogatory texts about captain Andrew Strauss to touring South Africa players.

The ECB clamied that the likes of Cook, Flower and Prior played a vital role in Pietersen's recall in 2012, and the trio should not be singled out for blame following the latest furore.

Pietersen is still widely regarded as England's best player - he was the leading run-scorer in the recent, ill-fated Ashes series - but the ECB have made it clear they feel he is damaging for team morale behind the scenes.

The statement continued: "Following the announcement of the decision, allegations have been made, some from people outside cricket, which as well as attacking the rationale of the ECB's decision-making, have questioned, without justification, the integrity of the England Team Director and some of England's players.

"Clearly what happens in the dressing room or team meetings should remain in that environment and not be distributed to people not connected with the team.

"This is a core principle of any sports team, and any such action would constitute a breach of trust and team ethics.

"Whilst respecting that principle, it is important to stress that Andy Flower, Alastair Cook and Matt Prior, who have all been singled out for uninformed and unwarranted criticism, retain the total confidence and respect of all the other members of the Ashes party.

"These are men who care deeply about the fortunes of the England team and its image, and it is ironic that they were the people who led the reintegration of Kevin Pietersen into the England squad in 2012."

[RichC]

The ECB are completely out of touch with reality, he's our best player. Having sheep blindly following without questioning how we go about things especially when it's not going well isn't going to help us in the long term now is it.

Let's all give Cookie a slap on the back for doing his best and carry on regardless

I can see fans voting with their feet this summer, if we get another tonking which is highly likely.

In fact it almost seems like they're trying to lay the blame at Pietersens feet for the disaster of a tour down under.

[Buzzo]

The ECB are completely out of touch with reality, he's our best player. Having sheep blindly following without questioning how we go about things especially when it's not going well isn't going to help us in the long term now is it.

Let's all give Cookie a slap on the back for doing his best and carry on regardless

I can see fans voting with their feet this summer, if we get another tonking which is highly likely.

In fact it almost seems like they're trying to lay the blame at Pietersens feet for the disaster of a tour down under.

The more the ECB say the more it sounds like all Pietersen did was express dissatisfaction at the leadership of what was a disastrous tour. It remains a ridiculous and staggering decision.

[Chazza]

KP's book will make for some interesting reading.

[captainfog]

George Dobell @GeorgeDobell1 Feb 8

@jontay79 Yes, it is. It really is. And what you're being fed is a lie. All the players are not against him. It's a victory for cliques.