Cricket

[Buzzo]

Bet it's Ashley Giles. Without having any insight into how he works, he seems a totally uninspiring figure.

He seems totally meek, he was a bog standard spinner. Can't see him having the necessary back bone.

[EwarWoo]

We need a completely fresh slate.

As much as he didn't do too much was more to do with the team he had, so maybe someone like Nasser?

He's always struck me as both knowledgeable and endowed with the necessary danglies.

And whilst we're at it let cook concentrate on his batting.

[Shaggy]

This guy broke the Flower story.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/cricket/international/england/10610226/Andy-Flower-loses-his-job-as-England-coach-and-Kevin-Pietersen-could-pay-price-for-Ashes-failure-too.html

Andy Flower loses his job as England coach and Kevin Pietersen could pay price for Ashes failure too

Exclusive: Kevin Pietersen could follow Andy Flower in losing his place in the England set-up, as Paul Downton also reviews Alastair Cook's credentials as captain after loss to Australia

Kevin Pietersen's long-term future with the England team is on the line and will be decided this weekend by Paul Downton, whose review into the Ashes failure has led to the departure of team director Andy Flower. The ECB also have major doubts about Alastair Cook's captaincy credentials.

Downton, who only officially starts his job as the new managing director on Feb 2, met both Pietersen and Flower this week and the news of Flower’s departure will be confirmed by the ECB after Telegraph Sport this morning broke news of the decision to end his reign.

Downton’s next decision will be whether to tell Pietersen his England career is over. Just two weeks ago Flower was forced to issue a statement denying he had told the ECB he would resign if Pietersen remained an England player as the relationship between the two men completely broke down during the Ashes tour.

The ECB will not want Pietersen and his supporters to claim victory and believe he has ousted another coach after being central to the sacking of Peter Moores five years ago, a situation that also cost him the England captaincy.

But Pietersen remains a fine player and Giles may decide he wants him in the team over the next few weeks as they challenge for a global Twenty20 title they won in 2010 in the West Indies. Pietersen was the man of the tournament in that competition and has experience of Asian conditions form his time in the IPL.

Pietersen will want clarity from the ECB before the IPL auction on Feb 12. His value will depend on his availability for the tournament. If he does not have a Test future with England he may decide to retire meaning he will be able to play the whole IPL, a situationthat could earn him millions of dollars.

He has stated publicly he wants to carry on playing Test cricket for another three years but at 34 and with a long term knee injury some senior sources have indicated he he is no longer worth the effort to manage in the dressing room.

Alastair Cook is caught in the middle. He has publicly stated he wants to continue as England captain and hoped to work with Flower to rebuild the side.

But ECB executives have major doubts about his captaincy credentials after he was completely exposed by Michael Clarke in Australia.

Cook, like Flower, is widely admired as a strong character with many leadership qualities and is likely to be given the chance to lead England this summer.

[captainfog]

Getting rid of KP would be a disaster.

[Buzzo]

Getting rid of KP would be a disaster.

Curing a cold by cutting your head off. I don't get it, KP always gets it from the media... He has been fundamental in some of the best times the England Cricket team have ever had. Would be crazy to end it whilst he still has so much to offer. No doubt the ECB have their own agenda, we shall see.

[Shaggy]

Agreed. Delighted that Cook might be up for the chop as captain, but getting rid of KP would be madness.

[Le Chef]

Agreed. Delighted that Cook might be up for the chop as captain, but getting rid of KP would be madness.

Knowing the ECB, they'll probably do both and then offer Giles the job

[Chazza]

More wonderful stuff from England in the T20

If Giles gets the job we can write off the next few years.

[RichC]

Surely we've got to be at least trying to talk to Gary Kirsten.

[Le Chef]

Given the amount of praise Giles is getting at the moment, I seriously doubt the ECB are looking beyond Ashley Giles

Given he presided over a boldly shambles on the last 6 weeks, he should be advised to step down

[Shaggy]

Pietersen looks done for.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/cricket/article-2551438/KPs-driven-Maverick-batsmans-England-career-set-come-close.html

EXCLUSIVE: KP's being driven out - Maverick batsman's England career looks over after crunch talks

By PAUL NEWMAN

PUBLISHED: 17:22, 4 February 2014 | UPDATED: 17:53, 4 February 2014

The curtain looks set to come down on Kevin Pietersen’s brilliant but controversial England career after urgent talks at Lord’s.

Sportsmail understands that a meeting between Ashley Giles, Alastair Cook and Paul Downton has decided it is best for England to move on towards a new era without their highly talented maverick.

A statement from the ECB will almost certainly confirm that one of the best batsmen to ever play for England has reached the end of the line after one controversy too many in a chequered career.

It looked certain Pietersen would be jettisoned in the aftermath of the 5-0 humiliation in Australia after his fragile relationship with team director Andy Flower had broken down towards the end of the Ashes thrashing.

Yet the surprise decision of Flower to stand down on Friday after England’s results in Australia went from very bad to even worse during the limited-overs leg changed the landscape and offered Pietersen the possibility of a reprieve.

That slight glimmer of hope seems to have disappeared today in a hotel across the road from the home of cricket where one-day coach Giles met captain Cook and new managing director Downton for an unprecedented summit on one player.

On Thursday England are due to announce their party for a one-day tour of West Indies later this month and the World Twenty20 in Bangladesh in March and it now seems certain that Pietersen’s name will not be included.

How England explain the move will be intriguing. Sportsmail understands it is felt he set a bad influence towards younger members of the team towards the end of the Ashes after a number of earlier flashpoints.

Crucially, Cook, who rescued Pietersen’s career in 2012 after the Andrew Strauss text scandal, began to have the same reservations about carrying on with Pietersen around the time of the Sydney Test.

All that remains to be seen now is whether the ECB fudge the reasons for his omission or come clean on the whole story of a brilliant batsmen who has fallen out with the powers that be wherever has gone.

It seems that this unfortunate character trait finally caught up with him.

[RichC]

Crazy

Much like football cricket needs to get away from being run by the stuffy old boy brigade that we've currently got.

Not the best for English cricket not by a million miles; idiots.

[RichC]

Actually if I was KP now I'd say **** it I retire and go and play in the IPL. Make some serious cash in the last few years.

We'll struggle even more without him in the side which is hard to believe after the last tour!

[Shaggy]

It's absolutely ridiculous. What if the new coach, whoever that's going to be, wants to pick....you know......our best player? What a ****ing joke.

[Shaggy]

In the end, it was the breakdown of his relationship with Alastair Cook - the man who saved him in 2012 - which has done for Pietersen.