Cricket

[Shaggy]

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.

It is so obvious this is the case.

The ECB's latest statement is an absolute joke. Just makes it worse. I'm not paying to watch anything this summer. They can **** off.

[Shaggy]

Piers Morgan @piersmorgan
I'm hearing of near-mutiny in England cricket squad. Only @MattPrior13 agreed with Cook that @KP24 should go. Rest think it's madness.

[Shaggy]

Piers Morgan @piersmorgan
And it's true that @StuartBroad8 (quite rightly) wanted @KP24 at T20 World Cup. Once you've lost the dressing room, Mr Cook.....

Piers Morgan @piersmorgan 20m
Not sure why @MattPrior13 has any say on KP given he can't even get in the team himself? Or was he just creating room for his own return?

Piers Morgan @piersmorgan
And no, I'm not hearing this from KP. The England players are telling a lot of people how they feel. #Mutiny #Cook #BringBackKP

Piers Morgan @piersmorgan
I'll say it again... Alastair Cook couldn't lead a morris dance. Clueless captain and disloyal weasel. #BringBackKP

Piers Morgan @piersmorgan
Cook stared at the floor and said NOTHING as @KP24 was sacked. Didn't even look him in the eye. Weasel. #BringBackKP

[dww]

I wouldn't believe anything Piers Morgan has to say about anything.

[Shaggy]

Ordinarily I would wholeheartedly agree but, uncomfortably, I couldn't agree more with him about this and through several players he has the inside track.

And of course, why would any England player be happy about it? Unless you're a ****house like Cook?

[dww]

I just think that is bias confirmation.

It would be shocking if all England players agreed with getting rid of KP. However whether a 2 vs everyone else split is true who knows. Anyone giving Piers any info would likely be on KP's side.

It's obviously a daft situation, even if I can see there could be a case for dropping KP (although not without the possibility of reversing the decision at a later date). Makes absolutely no sense to do it before appointing a new coach though.

[Buzzo]

It doesn't stretch the imagination too much to believe that the majority of England players would feel more comfortable with Pietersen in the team.

It remains a staggering decision. If England fail to perform in any innings for the next 5 years all you are going to hear about is what if's if KP were involved.

Cook's silence just underlines what a weak captain he has become.

[Vermilion]

Shane Warne blasts England captain Alastair Cook over 'incredible decision' to axe Kevin Pietersen.

Australian cricket legend Shane Warne believes Alastair Cook will come to regret his decision to axe Kevin Pietersen.

The batsman's controversial international career came to its conclusion last week, after he was left out of England's ODI and Twenty 20 squads.

The decision has drawn mixed reactions from the cricket world, with most believing the time had come for Pietersen to step aside.

However, former captain Michael Vaughan labelled the call as "madness" and Warne has continued the condemnation of Cook and the ECB.

The ex-Australia bowler told the Telegraph: "Cook’s captaincy was terribly exposed during the Australian summer and now he has dumped the best player in the team. It is an incredible decision.

"Cook should ask himself these questions: is KP going to win us games of cricket? Yes. Are we a stronger team with him in the side? Yes.

"But instead English cricket has dumped Pietersen and his exit has been handled very badly. There have been leaks, statements and pettiness.

"They are all grown men talking about something important, so get out of the playground and start acting like grown ups. Just find a way. Make it work."

http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/cricket/shane-warne-blasts-england-captain-3134440

[Vermilion]

Kevin Pietersen & IPL: Ex-England batsman bought by Delhi for £880k.

Kevin Pietersen has been bought by the Delhi Daredevils for £880,000 (90m rupees) in the Indian Premier League auction in Bangalore.

The 33-year-old Surrey batsman, who had been expected to fetch a higher price, is available for the full tournament after being discarded by England.

India's Yuvraj Singh has been bought for a larger sum - £1.37m (140m rupees) - by Royal Challengers Bangalore.

A total of 514 players are on sale for the seventh edition of the IPL.

Pietersen played last season for the Delhi side, but they initially chose not to retain him because of his expected international commitments.

Current and former England internationals Ian Bell, Ravi Bopara, Jade Dernbach, Craig Kieswetter, Luke Wright, Dimitri Mascarenhas, Rikki Clarke and Simon Jones are also due to go under the hammer in Bangalore.

Each franchise has a spending cap of £5.87 (600m rupees).

This year, players are being bought in Indian rupees instead of US dollars for the first time.

Other players bought in the first round of auction on Wednesday included Australia's Mitchell Johnson (65m rupees by Kings XI Punjab) and David Warner (55m rupees by Sunrisers Hyderabad); South Africa's Jacques Kallis (55m rupees by Kolkata Knight Riders); and India's Virender Sehwag (32m rupees by Kings XI Punjab).

The current record paid for a single player was set in 2011, when India batsman Gautam Gambhir was signed for $2.4m.

The IPL starts in April, but while the amount available for player salaries has trebled since the league began in 2008, profits of the teams have not kept pace.

The tournament has also been affected by allegations of corruption with a top cricket official recently found guilty of illegally passing on information to bookmakers, the BBC's Sanjoy Majumder in Delhi says.

The seventh edition of the 20-over tournament, which features eight teams, mixes floodlit cricket with Bollywood glitz and high-profile corporate sponsorship and runs from 8 April to 30 May.

Any England players on central or incremental contracts who are selected for the home limited-overs series against Sri Lanka starting on 20 May, must be back in the UK by 13 May.

No such restrictions will apply to Pietersen after he was released from his central contract following England's 5-0 Ashes whitewash in Australia.

The England and Wales Cricket Board said on Sunday that it had discarded Pietersen because it wanted an England team based on "trust" with all players "pulling in the same direction".

Pietersen, who signed a new contract on Monday to play county cricket for Surrey, has played 21 IPL matches for either the Bangalore Royal Chargers or Delhi Daredevils, but missed last season's competition through injury.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/cricket/26138068

[Shaggy]

South Africa v Australia 1st Test under way. Should be a cracking game and a good gauge of how good Australia really are. Couple of changes. Watson dropped surprisingly. No surprise that hopeless Bailey has been given the boot.

1 Chris Rogers, 2 David Warner, 3 Alex Doolan, 4 Michael Clarke (capt), 5 Steven Smith, 6 Shaun Marsh, 7 Brad Haddin (wk), 8 Mitchell Johnson, 9 Ryan Harris, 10 Peter Siddle, 11 Nathan Lyon.

1 Graeme Smith (capt), 2 Alviro Petersen, 3 Hashim Amla 4 Faf du Plessis, 5 AB de Villiers (wk), 6 JP Duminy, 7 Ryan McLaren, 8 Robin Peterson, 9 Vernon Philander, 10 Dale Steyn, 11 Morne Morkel.

[Shaggy]

Ah, Watson is injured. Aus 54-2.

[EwarWoo]

Watson dropped surprisingly.

I believe he's injured?

[Shaggy]

Marsh going really well. 65 not out. Aus recovering AGAIN....169-4.

[Shaggy]

Angus Fraser appointed England selector.

[captainfog]

Sweaty Gus Fraser