KP added to Test squad for India

http://www.espncricinfo.com/england/content/current/story/587231.html

Presumably he's agreed to have his phone confiscated for the duration of the tour.

Pietersen now officially rehabilitated and let back out into the community (presumably on parole).

Added to the squad to India.

Eoin Morgan will get another tour to perfect his beverage-making technique.

NTD.

This has all gone a bit weird. AD started the same thread as me so I merged them, but in spite of his post being first, it says I'm the topic starter.

Meh.

Neat footwork Fromage!

Neater than Paul Gadd's, any day.

Dello wrote:This has all gone a bit weird. AD started the same thread as me so I merged them, but in spite of his post being first, it says I'm the topic starter.

Meh.

Farqin monopolist.

Dello wrote:This has all gone a bit weird. AD started the same thread as me so I merged them, but in spite of his post being first, it says I'm the topic starter.

Meh.

I, along with Ed Miliband, demand a judge-led inquiry

Dello wrote:Pietersen now officially rehabilitated and let back out into the community (presumably on parole).

Added to the squad to India.

Eoin Morgan will get another tour to perfect his beverage-making technique.

According to Geoff Miller it will also ease the pressure when Bell returns home to watch his sprog pop out:
Pietersen added to tour party: ECB statement

Wonder if KP will be considered along with Compton, Bell & Trott for as an opening partner for Cook?

Well, I hope the naughty boy has learnt his lesson.

He won't make a great deal of difference - his record is hardly mint on the SubC and ultimately he's one player in amongst some frankly limited batsmen and increasingly dobby/wheely bowlers. But, hopefully at least we'll see one or two brutal innings.

Reckon it'll be a fairly predictable:

Cook*
Compton/Root
Trott
Pietsersen
Bell
Prior+
FatPat
Bresnan
Broad
Swann
Whistleblower

Lot of batting, lots of shite all-rounders, lots of meh, grind it out and hope.

Sam and Brez can work off a few half-stone, at least.

Good in the long run.



And new boy Pietsersen can be inducted into the team.

"BOOOOOOOOM!! The happiest days of my career have been playing cricket for ENG... Long may that continue! Thanks everyone for your kind words."

I can forgive Pietersen a lot, but I'm not sure I can turn a blind eye to him opening a tweet with "BOOOOOOOOM!!"

He's dead to me now.

You left out the end of that tweet:

& as 4 U Dello ... UP URS U DOOS!

Dello wrote:

"BOOOOOOOOM!! The happiest days of my career have been playing cricket for ENG... Long may that continue! Thanks everyone for your kind words."

I can forgive Pietersen a lot, but I'm not sure I can turn a blind eye to him opening a tweet with "BOOOOOOOOM!!"

He's dead to me now.

Samit Patel misread that and took offence to Pietersen calling out his chests.

As if Fat Pat had time to read a tweet when all of his waking hours are spent eating.

Dello wrote:Reckon it'll be a fairly predictable:

Cook*
Compton/Root
Trott
Pietsersen
Bell
Prior+
FatPat - no wickets
Bresnan - no wickets
Broad - no wickets
Swann - hit average
Whistleblower - below average

Lot of batting, lots of shite all-rounders, lots of meh, grind it out and hope.

How are we going to even draw if we can't take any wickets and collapse helplessly like a stroke victim against spin?

Klämmssøn wrote:

Dello wrote:Reckon it'll be a fairly predictable:

Cook*
Compton/Root
Trott
Pietsersen
Bell
Prior+
FatPat - no wickets
Bresnan - no wickets
Broad - no wickets
Swann - hit average
Whistleblower - below average

Lot of batting, lots of shite all-rounders, lots of meh, grind it out and hope.

How are we going to even draw if we can't take any wickets and collapse helplessly like a stroke victim against spin?

I don't know. Then again, we won a Test in India with Shaun Udal bowling, so there's clearly no logic behind this stupid game. It's all luck.

Finn will play, surely. Looked the real deal in his last test at Lord's. Was England's most menacing bowler by a distance. India wont fancy him.

Will you never learn, Trev?

Stephen Finn should take out insurance against a career-ending injury in India. Now.

Team picks itself:

Cook
Compton
Trott
Lord KP
Bell
Patel
Prior
Broad
Swann
Anderson
Finn

Bairstow ought to be 6 on merit but is omitted on the basis that he cannot play spin whatsoever. Fat Sam is in last chance saloon but he is, relatively speaking, an alright player of spin. Plus he's generally alright against medium pace dobbers so where's the difference?

No place for Chris Read or Andre Adams?

I'd much rather we ditched the number six batsman Patel, who on batting alone isn't good enough to be in the top six, for an extra specialist bowler, in this case Monty. Prior is more than good enough to bat at six, with Broad and Swann at seven and eight.

Cook(c)
Compton
Trott
Pietersen
Bell
Prior+
Broad
Swann
Finn
Anderson
Panesar

If our top five can't make the runs against the Indian attack on flat pitches, then the quality of 9,10, and 11 shouldn't matter much. The Indian batting is vulnerable these days. Let's hit them with our best attack. Keep them on the mat. Guys like Sehwag, Gambhir, and Tendulkar haven't made test hundreds for over a year.

Yes, Henry, let's pick the guy who averages 56 with the ball and 5 with the bat in India. If we are picking an extra bowler it has to be a seamet. Spin cannot win England this series, but it can lose it them.