Ashes 2013/14

[PaulWinch again]

There's a general perception around KP that I don't think is true and he seems to suffer from it. We need to look more at how the dressing room's being managed, I don't think he should go but Flower is getting off very lightly from this. He said maybe he saw it coming, then why didn't he do something about it?

[eastie]

There's a general perception around KP that I don't think is true and he seems to suffer from it. We need to look more at how the dressing room's being managed, I don't think he should go but Flower is getting off very lightly from this. He said maybe he saw it coming, then why didn't he do something about it?

Flower and kp have had an uneasy truce since the captaincy debacle which brought about peter moores exit - if Flower feels the way forward is without kp for the sake of team harmony then he must backed .

Kp can go onto play IPL cricket and will still have his reputation intact - I would like to see kp in ashes tests again but I can't see it happening in all honesty.

[Monty]

I disagree, there are other perfectly good coaches out there, and maybe ones who didn't feel getting to no. 1 in the rankings was 'job done', and maybe ones who haven't been floating their possibly leaving the role for the last few months - but there's only one Kevin Pietersen, and for all his faults our batting is just too flimsy to deselect him for the sake of a coach.

[Villan For Life]

I disagree, there are other perfectly good coaches out there, and maybe ones who didn't feel getting to no. 1 in the rankings was 'job done', and maybe ones who haven't been floating their possibly leaving the role for the last few months - but there's only one Kevin Pietersen, and for all his faults our batting is just too flimsy to deselect him for the sake of a coach.

He is not bigger than the team though is he? The team/squad as a whole must come first.

[Monty]

Neither of them are. The coach is not the team, the star batsman is not the team. You have to ask the pragmatic question: which one of these is more crucial, which one would be harder to replace? Our batting line up is so shot at the moment, and excommunicating the one player of inspiration available to us for the sake of a coach, who has himself displayed an undesirable degree of inconstancy, does not strike me as the most pragmatic thing to do.

[eastie]

For me the coach is more important - it's ok saying kp is the star batsman but how many times has he really delivered on the big stage in recent months ?

Yes he can change a match in a session on his day but his day is very rare in recent times - the team must come first , kp has history for problems in the dressing room and  if there are still doubts regarding him then best to call it a day .

[Monty]

Has to be said that Flower's recent record isn't that stunning either. This isn't football - in cricket, the coach is a tone-setter but must work with the best team available, and mustn't ever 'stamp his authority' or stuff like that. This is still a captains' sport and a players' sport. KP is still a gloriously talented batsman with plenty to offer, and to throw that away for a coach who might not be around for much longer anyway would be looked at as a historical mistake.

[paul_e]

Jordan, Overton, Mills, Robson, Lees, Borthwick, Buttler, Foakes are all good prospects and there'll be plenty more around.

From the little I've seen of him Jordan would be very near the top of that list for me, he was up around 89-90 in the ODI in the summer which is a nice step up from the low -mid 80s set of bowlers we've got.  I think we need to find some to scare people with raw pace and he's the best option right now.

I'm convinced Buttler will be behind the sticks for the summer.

[PaulWinch again]

This series was terrible but KP was still our top run scorer and one of the few up knuckle down at Melbourne. Also there's no talk of KP issuing ultimatums. If this is true it should only reflect badly on Flower as no coach should be issuing ultimatums of this nature.

[Monty]

This series was terrible but KP was still our top run scorer and one of the few up knuckle down at Melbourne. Also there's no talk of KP issuing ultimatums. If this is true it should only reflect badly on Flower as no coach should be issuing ultimatums of this nature.

I agree with this.

[PaulWinch again]

Jordan, Overton, Mills, Robson, Lees, Borthwick, Buttler, Foakes are all good prospects and there'll be plenty more around.

From the little I've seen of him Jordan would be very near the top of that list for me, he was up around 89-90 in the ODI in the summer which is a nice step up from the low -mid 80s set of bowlers we've got.  I think we need to find some to scare people with raw pace and he's the best option right now.

I'm convinced Buttler will be behind the sticks for the summer.

Jordan and Overton are quick and look very promising, Mills will be very quick as well. If Prior regains form he'll be the wicketkeeper in the summer, because he's definitely one who is a team man.

[Villan For Life]

I think KP's days are numbered. He hasn't played a match-changing innings for a while; his knee problems are not going away and he will be lured by IPL riches.

Maybe Flower should take his fair share of the blame, but I'd have though that Flower has more allies in "Team England" than KP and will ride of the storm of this Ashes debacle at KP's expense.

[eastie]

This series was terrible but KP was still our top run scorer and one of the few up knuckle down at Melbourne. Also there's no talk of KP issuing ultimatums. If this is true it should only reflect badly on Flower as no coach should be issuing ultimatums of this nature.

He averaged 29 - hardly inspiring, I agree he has been our best batsmen but IF there is a problem in the dressing room then Flower must be backed .

[PaulWinch again]

I don't think having 'allies in Team England' is a particularly great thing and might be part of the reason for our problems. The team should be a team as a whole, not various different groups of 'allies'.

[Villan For Life]

I don't think having 'allies in Team England' is a particularly great thing and might be part of the reason for our problems. The team should be a team as a whole, not various different groups of 'allies'.

But that implies that they all get on with each which clearly they don't.