KP out for the series

Henry wrote:Vaughan is clearly out of the loop. I believe Strauss and Flower banned the "We all average 40" argument back in the Caribbean.

Well it seems to be working, as most of the 40 Club are suddenly pushing on towards 45... fair enough they've had some crap bowling to get stuck into since then. There's a challenge for Bell, get his average up to 45 still without playing an innings that genuinely influences the outcome of a Test!

In Belly's defence (not a position I've taken up too often), he did score 199 against SA which should have influenced the outcome of that Test, but for some weedy bowling from England's attack (Monty "fifth day choker" Panesar, I'm looking at you).

The way this series is getting a bit surreal, put your money on a 150 at a run a ball for Bell whilst everyone else falls around him.

Dello wrote:In Belly's defence (not a position I've taken up too often), he did score 199 against SA which should have influenced the outcome of that Test, but for some weedy bowling from England's attack (Monty "fifth day choker" Panesar, I'm looking at you).

Though even that was piggybacking off the back of a KP hundred. Fingers crossed he proves everyone wrong, he's not without talent. I'm assuming everyone will let out a little 'sigh' when he battles for 30 and then chips an innocous one to mid-off.

I'm putting my money on Fred exploding with the bat.

Just got a feeling we'll see some vintage shit at Edgbaston. "Oooooh helloooo! Massive!"

JKLever wrote:I'm assuming everyone will let out a little 'sigh' when he battles for 30 and then chips an innocous one to mid-off.

That's pretty much what they've been getting from Bopara and Pietersen anyway.

Bell is the new Vaughan, I reckon. How often do we see this-

Henry wrote:I'm putting my money on Fred exploding with the bat.

Just got a feeling we'll see some vintage shit at Edgbaston. "Oooooh helloooo! Massive!"

No chance. He looks really wobbly with the bat to me.

Never been the greatest in defence, but these days gives the impression that he could be cleaned up every other ball.

Cameo 20s and 30s from here, I'd say.

JKLever wrote:

Dello wrote:In Belly's defence (not a position I've taken up too often), he did score 199 against SA which should have influenced the outcome of that Test, but for some weedy bowling from England's attack (Monty "fifth day choker" Panesar, I'm looking at you).

Though even that was piggybacking off the back of a KP hundred. Fingers crossed he proves everyone wrong, he's not without talent. I'm assuming everyone will let out a little 'sigh' when he battles for 30 and then chips an innocous one to mid-off.

He's got loads of talent. That's what's so enraging about him, and hence my point about swapping his head with Collingwood's. Bell has more ability in his little finger than Colly has in his whole body, yet who would you rather have in the team? Exactly.

Have only just entered this thread so should just check if the name Usman Afzaal has come up yet?

Apparently the experts have said this type of injury and surgery can take 3 months to fully recover from. FFS, I hope they give him as much time as is needed. How often do we see player coming back too quickly and making things worse.

there would be remarkably few who could give a toss about that human flea bag...certainly not Freddie the IcyPole or his Pomgolian mates

You mean about Simon Katich?

Henry wrote:Apparently the experts have said this type of injury and surgery can take 3 months to fully recover from. FFS, I hope they give him as much time as is needed. How often do we see player coming back too quickly and making things worse.

Pietersen - down and out.



Thursday 23rd July 2009






An orrthopaedic surgeon has said he fears England batsman Kevin Pietersen could miss much more than the remainder of the Ashes.


Pietersen was ruled out of this summer's final three Tests against Australia after undergoing surgery on an inflamed Achilles tendon.
The 29-year-old is expected to be out of action until September but Simon Moyes, who works out of the Wellington Hospital in London, claims the prognosis could be worse.
Moyes said: "Kevin Pietersen has a serious problem with his Achilles tendon known as chronic tendinopathy, which hasn't responded to the usual measures of physiotherapy and injections.
"Less than five percent of patients end up needing surgery for this condition and therefore he is most unfortunate.
"The surgery to the tendon is not always predictable and involves cleaning inflammatory tissue, necrotic tissue and neovascular tissue - i.e. new blood vessels.
"Although a surgeon from Sweden, with a special interest in this condition, has been flown in to deal with the injury, I believe it will be at minimum of three months before he is fully recovered.
"Even then there is still a risk that the surgery may not work."
Pietersen was first troubled by the injury on the winter tour of the Caribbean but had been hoping to play on with the aid of painkilling injections.
The problem worsened, however, during the second Test victory at Lord's last week and it was decided an operation was necessary.
ECB chief medical officer Nick Peirce said on Wednesday: "The operation involved a small incision and trimming of the blood vessels and nerves around the inflamed tendon and appears, at this early stage, to have been routine.
"Kevin will look to undertake a comprehensive rehabilitation programme to ensure there is no risk of recurrence.
"This is expected to be approximately six weeks but will be taken at an appropriate pace following constant review."

Dello wrote:In Belly's defence (not a position I've taken up too often), he did score 199 against SA which should have influenced the outcome of that Test, but for some weedy bowling from England's attack (Monty "fifth day choker" Panesar, I'm looking at you).

If we had referrals, Monty would've gotten Smith out for 60-odd and 80-odd.

Dello wrote:Unusual for him to be accentuating the positives...

And like academics, Vaughan should stick to it in private!

Accentuating the positive in private
16 July 2009
By Hannah Fearn

Scholars' institutional pessimism is undercut by their personal optimism. Hannah Fearn reports

Academics are often unremittingly gloomy about university life, yet extraordinarily upbeat about their own work at the same time.

Research by Sir David Watson, professor of higher education management at the Institute of Education, has identified a contradiction in academia that results in staff insisting that morale is low despite being personally satisfied with their own careers.

From: http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/story.asp?storycode=407389

Henry wrote:Apparently the experts have said this type of injury and surgery can take 3 months to fully recover from. FFS, I hope they give him as much time as is needed. How often do we see player coming back too quickly and making things worse.

I was sort of hoping that 6 weeks was on the pessimistic side and there might be a slight chance we'd see him for a potential Oval decider... obviously not then.

Anyway, as long as he's fit to begin the Ashes defence in November '10...

I still think this series will turn out to be more 1997 than 2005...

vilkrang wrote:I still think this series will turn out to be more 1997 than 2005...

Well, we beat them at Edgbaston in both of those years! And it's Bell's home ground so how can we fail?

Still not convinced though I have to admit. This is an ordinary England side and if we weren't playing the weakest Aussie team in 20 years we'd still be certain to get thrashed. I think either side could be fragile enough to lose the remaining three if things go against them, so any of the possible scorelines is realistic (even 1-0 given our summer weather!)

England aren't as bad a side as they've appeared to be often in the last year or so, and Australia aren't anything like as strong as they've been in the last few years. The series is what it always has been, a close contest between two comparable teams. It could go either way.

Yeah, they're two fairly average teams really. But I suppose you could say Test cricket currently has eight fairly average teams and Bangladesh (assuming West Indies field their "proper" team that is!) India and South Africa perhaps are a bit ahead of the rest despite what the rankings say, but there's certainly no dominant force like WI 70s-80s and Aus 90s-00s.

vilkrang wrote:I still think this series will turn out to be more 1997 than 2005...

There was a much much wider talent gap between the 1997 England & Australia sides, the end result was inevitable.

Aus may well win this series, particularly if Fred goes down too - but they'll have to work damn hard from here.

Interesting that the IPL appears to have exacerbated his Achilles injury.

Interesting? I think it's PMSL hilarious.

But the IPL is good for the game...