So I picked a good few days at the end of last week to be snowed under…
Dmitri has highlighted a few things about the peculiarities of the ECB actions, and as the days go by it seems they have learned absolutely nothing.
Firstly the sacking of Moores has handled with a complete lack of respect. Whether he should have been appointed for a second stint as England coach is one thing, but he was. Dumping him after a year is an open admission they got it completely wrong, just as they did with Downton, though with fewer excuses given Moores had done the job before. Naturally, there’s been no admission from the ECB of that, and naturally they managed to make a mess of it.
On Friday Moores took the England side to play Ireland in Dublin, and the morning papers were full of articles about his impending sacking. The television coverage consisted of commentators openly talking about it while the camera focused on him. Moores retained his dignity after his first period in office, refusing to criticise the ECB or complain about his treatment, indeed his conduct would have been part of the reason that they considered his return. He deserved far better than the public humiliation of leading the team to Ireland and having his removal an item of discussion while the camera focused in on him, just as he deserved far better than being the subject of numerous press articles that morning.
Moores may not have been the right person to be England coach, but that doesn’t make it remotely acceptable for someone in the ECB to have briefed the press about it all before the official announcement. The journalists are doing their jobs, there’s no criticism of them. There is criticism of the ECB for failing to treat an employee with the respect due to them. One must hope that Moores had already been advised of what was to happen before then, because anything else goes off the scale of dreadful treatment. It is to Moores’ immense credit if so that he still did his job that day.
The point here is that you don’t have to approve of Moores’ appointment or the job he was doing to be be aghast at his treatment. This is a decent man doing his best for the England team. Whether or not his best was good enough is entirely beside the point. Treating people like commodities to be discarded without recourse to their feelings has been a pattern of behaviour within the ECB for quite some time, and it seems clear that nothing has changed. Doubtless they will wonder what all the fuss is about; after all, the bilious inadequates weren’t happy about Moores’ appointment in the first place, so surely they got what they wanted and should pipe down and move on. No. Moores deserves an apology, and a public one. It is unacceptable in the extreme to treat him with such contempt.
Of course, the appointment of Strauss has led to numerous articles about what this means for Kevin Pietersen. Like others, it is intensely amusing to read the usual suspects who lament that Pietersen dares to be an issue write extensively about him while demanding that everyone else move on. Like a dog returns to his vomit so fools repeat their folly. But there is an important point here – if Pietersen is once again going to be told that he won’t be selected for England, then the ECB have told him lies. He came back into county cricket because he was led to believe there was an outside chance of him winning back his place in the England side. He gave up his IPL contract, and he donated his salary with Surrey to charity. He would not have done so if told he could forget any possibility of selection. Leave aside the practical matter of whether it is remotely sustainable should England have a poor summer, a restatement of his banishment is at odds with the indications they have given him.
Pietersen has a limited number of years left in the game. Leading him up the garden path and messing around with the remainder of his career would be a spiteful, vindictive thing to do.
And this is where the treatment of Moores and the treatment of Pietersen coincide. Not for the first time, the ECB have behaved with nothing but contempt for others. The defenders of them try to argue that the dreadful disaffected people are the problem, and that nothing the ECB could ever do would satisfy them. They can’t even treat their own employees or players with respect, it is hardly surprising that they don’t care about anyone else.
Let’s be abundantly clear. The treatment of Moores was loathsome. If they do what has been trailed in the press to Pietersen, that is repugnant. There are no justifications, no weasel words that make it more palatable. Simply an organisation that cannot even abide by standards of common decency towards other human beings.
Being Outside Cricket 
You’re assuming someone from the ECB briefed the press. It didn’t happen. That’s not to say the whole thing wasn’t mishandled (it clearly was). But we weren’t briefed by the ECB.
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I chose my words quite carefully so as not to say the ECB briefed the press. I said someone IN the ECB. Are you saying Lawrence that no one in the ECB spoke to you? It doesn’t have to be official to be beneath contempt.
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If the press weren’t briefed by the ECB and Lawrence you tweeted they weren’t briefed by Strauss yesterday – then that means they were briefed by an outside third party. On the assumption that it wasn’t Moores as he presumably won’t have known – who does that leave?
Still it is a bit of a rhetorical question. Moores is out and has been treated dreadfully (twice) by the ecb
The Eng team is now ranked 5th after a dreadful 18 months – which instinctively feels about right – but we will soon be told that once again, we wont see the 11 best available players picked to play at Lords.
As someone who pays to watch the cricket, that remains a rip off and continues to reflect terribly on the ECB, new management or not.
My experience suggests that it is still a cosy old boys club where your face has to fit – and this is shocking.
The treatment of Whittaker is also poor – it has been trailed for ages now that he is the next to go – but he will be picking the next squad for the NZ series. This is a vital series against a brilliant side.
At what point will someone stand up to the ECB and bash them? What are their stakeholders like Waitrose and Sky doing? why are they allowing this to continue?
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What has happened to the rankings?
http://www.icc-cricket.com/team-rankings/test
England were fourth last time I looked, behind Pakistan, and are now 5th with Pakistan in 6th. Cricinfo are still giving the old version. The ICC version is based on fewer matches so have some old results been wiped off?
Three points separate 3rd from 7th so I’m certain little should be read into those differences. West Indies in 8th are still 12 points adrift 7th place (larger than the gap between Australia and NZ) so I think ‘mediocre’ (Yah Colin Talk Nah!) was pretty accurate.
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@SimonH – yes, it was reported a few days ago that some older matches were to be wiped from the rankings computer.
5th in Tests feels about right, though
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The cleaning of the rankings is done in May. Usually May 1st, but because there was an ongoing series between Pakistan and Bangladesh going on, it has been delayed.
Interesting to note that the gap between #3 (New Zealand) and #7 (Sri Lanka) is just a few points. Quite conceivable that England will find themselves ranked #7 after the end of the Ashes, only ahead of West Indies, Bangladesh and Zimbabwe.
Really not sure how India could have climbed significantly though, since their results in the past 12 months have not been too great. But the home season is coming, and that means that India are likely to rise in the rankings.
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Chris – it wasn’t England I was thinking about so much as Pakistan who have slid from 3rd to 6th and India who have risen from 6th to 4th. India have won only one (Lord’s) of their last thirteen Tests so it is difficult to understand.
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until something official comes out, we can but assume – plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose
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I really don’t want to come across as aggressive – but can you and Mr. Hoult and Mr. Ali put the same investigative instinct to work on finding out who else, apart from Strauss was actually considered for the DoC job?
Harrison has been allowed to say a full and thorough search was conducted – but no evidence has been demanded of him. Hence – no evidence produced.
All of which makes it look just like the Moores selection – we’ve excluded the best candidates and ended up with someone very familiar…
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Quite right. The crocodile tears argument won’t wash. Losing a job one values is traumatic enough, having it ‘seeped’ to the media is a thousand times worse. All the available evidence appears to suggest that he wasn’t informed before the ‘seep’, what on earth are we to make of an employer who treats their employees in such a manner? Briefed against, leaked against, it feels very much like another KP show trial – let’s test the waters with the media and supporters before announcing our decision. Poor, poor stuff.
Q. Are KP and Peter Moores destined to play out the same roles in perpetuity? This feels like 2009 all over again. Moores is shabbily treated, Pietersen is (potentially) misled, both are victims of ECB malfeasance.
Nick Hoult’s latest piece is interesting in that is appears to confirm what was one long suspected:
‘When England recruited Peter Moores last year it was made clear to candidates that they would not be able to pick Pietersen in any form of cricket. But that is likely to put off potential coaches from applying this time given how quickly they are judged on results’.
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In light of the above, will the ECB re-appoint Peter Moores?!?
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only if the dark lord says so…
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Graves on appointing a new coach in The Times (behind a paywall so I’m going on quotes in the Guardian and BBC):
“It is Andrew Strauss who takes that call as he builds his team around him. We will not rush into any decision overnight. The Peter Moores decision was not a kneejerk one and this will not be either. Andrew will have an idea who he has in mind and wants to talk to. It is his recommendation, he will bring that to Tom [Harrison] and then to me.”
Maybe a year of Downtonian mission creep has made me overly suspicious but that word “recommendation” worries me. That is not, in usual parlance, the power of appointment. No doubt Harrison and Graves will usually accept who Strauss recommends – but what if they don’t? Do they retain an effective power of veto? Is this part of what Vaughan meant by ‘limitations’?
Graves also said about the Moores sacking:
“it was handled properly, it was sorted out straightaway and certainly Peter Moores was as comfortable as he could be in those circumstances.”
Strewth.
And then there’s Nick Hoult’s revelation that they haven’t even met with Pietersen – one meeting was scheduled but they sacked Downton on that day so cancelled it……
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It would be somewhat peculiar to appoint him and then reject his choice. I’m sure they do have the power of veto, but why would they use it?
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If they don’t see any use in the power why have they retained it?
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It’s pretty normal for a boss to retain the power to overrule.
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Full article: http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/public/cricket/article4436394.ece
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‘ A senior figure at ECB said’ – ermm.. who? How many more senior figures are there?
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ED is pontificating about captaincy on CricInfo – oh dear (dictionaries at the ready)
http://www.espncricinfo.com/magazine/content/story/872835.html
my reply –
Oh Ed in the sand…
When will you understand
That learning to lead in 30+tests
Having been groomed for 80 and the rest
that Cook is and will never be
A leader from the front or on field with positive efficiency?
The longer he lingers and ‘leads’ with stroked Iron chin
Then England will not advance, a team without virtue or vim
let he bat uncluttered by voices
TINA is gone, there are real choices…
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Ed has made a bold move here to get into LCL’s Top Ten – and if he doesn’t make it I’ll be flabbergasted. Let’s have a look –
“The captain [Cook] – according to many of the loudest voices – is not a natural leader”.
Those loudest voices – it’s that tiny online minority again! Ed knows the silent majority are with him at their kitchen tables (authentic, grounded, sensible) while the loud voices are on their smartphones (plastic, rootless, ephemeral).
” in 2008-09…. England lost 1-0. But Andrew Strauss, after that tricky start, became one of the most successful England captains of modern times. Now England are turning to Strauss again, this time as director of cricket, because his leadership credentials are, of course, axiomatic. How quickly people forget views they once vehemently held”.
Tricky start? Exactly – not his thirtieth-odd match in charge. And who said his leadership qualities were “axiomatic”? Love that “vehemently” as well – only those who’s views you dislike are vehement whereas Ed is the voice of calmness and clear-thought.
“the idea of “natural” leadership is usually a retrospective trick – or narrative fallacy – used to make sense of events that, at the time, felt far more contingent and unpredictable”.
Ed’s swallowed a thesaurus again.
“Perception: Brearley could wander into any team, move gully a bit deeper, and, hey presto, you win by an innings”.
Laughable straw-man argument.
“Brearley’s captaincy could easily have been cut short before anyone noticed how good he was”.
Brearley was made vice-captain for his third Test for England so by the time he was near the England set-up his credentials were well-established. The doubts Ed refers to were in county cricket.
“Pundits tend to have a fairly fixed idea of what a natural leader looks like, and then judge the incumbent against their own personal template”.
Straw-man argument again. And unsupported assertion – where’s the evidence? None given. D- at ‘A’ level.
“There is no one such thing as the ultimate template for a good captain. All good leaders are different”.
Statement of the patently bleedin’ obvious as some sort of revealed truth. Ed’s trademark.
“In terms of value added, few managers can match Billy Beane of the Oakland Athletics baseball team”.
A baseball reference! Hang on – this article is about captains and this guy was a manager……
“At the other end of the spectrum stands Sir Alex Ferguson”.
Another manager! Has Ed forgotten what he started writing about? I don’t blame him.
“Which leads us back to Alastair Cook”.
Here we go…..
“The brilliant statistician Andrew Samson passed me two pieces of paper about the records of two captains, each after 31 Tests in charge”.
And those two captains were Alastair Cook and…… Allan Border. Ed really thinks Cook and Border are sort-of-comparable. I really feel quite ill at that thought. Did, for example, Border average under 28 in four of his first five Ashes’ series?
1981 59.2
1982/83 45.3
1985 66.3
1986/87 52.6
1989 73.7
Yep – I’m seeing the comparison. Three of those series were lost so they weren’t easy runs. Three of those series were when Border was captain – that’s real leading from the front. Border won fewer matches than Cook but he was leading an awful team after the Chappell/Lillee/Marsh generation retired and he was up against some great opposition.
“Border had also faced criticism about his manner and tactics. But eventually his resilience and run-scoring provided such an inspiring example that his team fell in step. The two men, so different on the surface – Border was known as Captain Grumpy, where Cook is courteous and self-deprecating – share an epic capacity for endurance”.
Border was not an inspired tactician – who says that he was? His grumpiness came later when his team was winning and was often directed at his own team (see the Youtube clip with McDermott) as much as the opposition – I can’t recall him saying “something must be done” about the media or calling ex-players “so-called friends” unlike the “courteous and self-deprecating” Cook. But, really, his or anyone’s “manner” is irrelevant to anyone except the English media who think being a ‘good chap’ matters.
“The case against Cook tends to rest on the conviction that he is about to crack, that he can’t take much more. This theory is conveniently self-perpetuating because it encourages his detractors to press on with their endeavours”.
No it doesn’t – writers like the “Cooky crumbles” play on words but it isn’t the core of their argument. Ultra-conservative tactics, ultra-conservative team selections, poor handling of spinners, too much trust in some, too little trust in others, poor judgment of declarations – these are the charge sheet. Ignore the reasonable points while setting fire to straw-men of your own imagining – this really is a classic of the genre.
“This type of thinking contributed to his sacking as ODI captain ridiculously close to the World Cup”.
Is Ed really implying Cook should have been WC captain?
“Yet in the West Indies – a patchy tour for England with some poor selection errors – there was no outward sign at all that Cook was wilting. Quite the reverse. His hundred in the third Test was almost faultless”.
Where did those selection errors come from? Not Cook obviously because he was too busy not wilting.
“Many bowling attacks have pinned their hopes on Cook cracking, only to find the wait inconveniently lengthy. I wonder if the detractors of Cook’s captaincy will experience a similar story”.
Not the Australian attack 80% of the time though.
Verdict:
LCL rating – must be in the top five surely?
Selvey rating – RT expected.
My verdict: the Observer would describe it as “pithy yet cutting”.
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Ah..I see what clever Ed did there. He resorted to counterfactuals because the facts don’t support his argument.
Albert Einstein v ‘Clever’ Ed Smith: TKO Round 1:
On Cook’s captaincy:
‘Insanity is doing the same things over and over again and expecting different results.’
On fallacious arguments:
‘If the facts don’t fit the theory, change the facts.’
On Ed Smith and the MSM:
‘The difference between stupidity and genius is that genius has its limits.’
On the ECB:
‘We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.’
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*applause*
Propose new entry for glossary:
FICJAM: Smith, Ed
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On Border, I didn’t even remember to mention winning the World Cup. With a not particularly strong team. In an alien conditions.
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perfectly ripped apart – thank you SimonH
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Aren’t Billy Beane references a bit old hat? And correct me if I’m mistaken, but has he actually won anything? His methods may be, and I stress may, for a struggling county team, but they’re hardly relevant for a body that prides itself on elite sporting excellence. Oh…..
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My understanding, based on the Independent piece, was that Strauss told Sky he wouldn’t be available for the Ireland game and the more alert journalists picked this up and started pumping Sky personnel for anything Strauss might have been saying lately… N Knight obliged with a suggestion that Moores wasn’t favourite… voila.
I still don’t see how that’s an ECB leak, reluctant as I am to give them the benefit of any doubt. Actually, it seems to be a bit of investigative newshounding such as we often ask for on these pages, in which case applause to Messrs Booth, Hoult and Martin – and I’m not just grovelling because two of them have turned up here! It’s good to see them here though. What the interwebs should be all about.
On the other hand, you’d think, wouldn’t you, that a reasonable ECB human being would have made a phone call to Moores to say “Peter, old chap, in confidence I just wanted to alert you that the candidates for the DoC job have all expressed the view that a speedy change to a new coach would be a good thing. No firm decisions have been made and we still absolutely want you to be there for the Ireland game. Of course we appreciate everything you’ve done but this is just to say, y’know, don’t take on another mortgage right now.” Are we sure that no such communication took place? It seems from what Moores was saying right up to the Ireland game that it didn’t.
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Thelegglance: of course we spoke to the ECB after we learned that Moores was on his way out, but their line was that no decision would be made until after the new director of cricket (sorry: director, England cricket) was appointed. Stories emerge in all sorts of ways – people talk to each other, and cricket is a small world. And, for what it’s worth, the ECB are now paranoid about being accused of leaking.
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The key point is that you “learned that Moores was on his way out”. Now, as I say, that’s your job to find things like that out – and again, there’s not the slightest, remotest criticism of any one of you for doing that well. But the articles were so definite, so certain, that the information was clearly rock solid. I agree information comes out in all sorts of ways, but that’s still a leak, and still someone in the ECB who let it slip.
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Did they mention that the decision would be made 35 minutes after the D,C was appointed? 🙂
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How much did the ECB pay someone to come up with that oh so enigmatic ‘comma’? Was that changed in the unseen job description before or after Strauss was appointed? Has he be told or was it leaked/seeped/dribbled from down someone’s leg?
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‘the ECB are now paranoid about being accused of leaking’
Good. It’s an issue that clearly needs to be addressed,. Not so good for journalists, mind! 🙂
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It’ll finish off Selvey at least….
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Hi, Lawrence. Not really interested in who-told-who what and think it’s unfair to hound you over it. But I would like your comment on how the ECB filled a position without ever producing a job description. Vaughan says he was given to understand the job comes with a veto on selecting Kevin Pietersen, but apart from that, just what does a D of C do?
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Incidentally, I don’t want to derail this into a Pietersen thread but the incident at the county match yesterday just illustrated so clearly what the reality of the situation is. The blazers (inc. Strauss) and some of the journos (we all know who) can go on all they like about individual aggrandisement and the pursuit of solo celebrity, damaging to the team yada yada – the fact is that a young player gets a century and Pietersen makes a point of shaking his hand and the young guy is visibly thrilled to bits.
That isn’t because KP has a giant ego, (which he may have) or seeks attention (which he obviously does sometimes), it’s because of his deserved and genuine standing in the game. Denying that and trying to frame him as some sort of self-publicising loser is just silly. But they keep on trying.
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Pretty much bang on. Like him or loathe him and whether it’s merited or not, he’s a genuine global star name in a cricket context.
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To echo Vian’s point ATL, no criticism here of the journalists for reporting the news as it broke on Friday at all, as I said on Twitter to Dmitri at the time, just doing their job and doing it well to break the news.
The main crux, about an organisation that treats all it employees it seems, players and non-playing staff alike with contempt is a real issue. The treatment of various employees going back 6 or 7 years now does not reflect well at all on them.
If an administrative body is continually the centre of a shit storm of their own making, then you’ve got a massive problem. They shouldn’t be news, but for the last 18months they have been.
I remain to be impressed (hopefully) or disappointed by Strauss (to close to the old way?), but let’s hope his appointment signals a return to only ever moaning about the perenial things like selection and what to do with a county system that does so many things well but the odd thing not so well. You know the stuff we love having a chat about.
Someone on the G linked to a great story on Vice about the problems facing the ECB, I don’t know if the authour has obsessively gone through the last 18months like me and many of you on here, but it’s interesting to read another news outlet’s take on the situation and to raise many of the issue that many like Lawrence Booth, George Dobell, David Hopps, Scyld Berry in his more lucid moments, Nick Hoult and us in the bloggosphere have been saying for a while.
https://sports.vice.com/en_uk/article/english-crickets-crumbling-pyramid
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An excellent article – shame the ECB blazers, many MSM, and EDsmith will never understand or recognise such quality writing
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Just on one bit of that article – it’s fairly straightforward to do Level 1 and Level 2 (as it was then) in a weekend, providing you’ve done some reading and preparation.
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And with an impeccable sense of timing, Pietersen goes to his hundred.
How deeply amusing.
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Methinks the Strauss official ‘unveiling’ tomorrow has just been out-done press wise, even if we already know what much of the MSM will ask/report… hehehe
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Wish I was there – it’s a beautiful day to watch Pietersen and Sangakkara batting together…
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Ah, Sanga’s gone, missed that.
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There’s joy unconfined on the Guardian CC thread as you can imagine…..
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SimonH
Is that the thread that’s “full of delightful people”, as someone said on Twitter in response to “bilious inadequates”?
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The Guardian CC thread at its delightful best:
http://www.theguardian.com/sport/live/2015/may/11/county-cricket-live-somerset-new-zealand-surrey-leicestershire-yorkshire-hampshire#comment-51960478
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And for those, like me, who needed to check the reference:
“Good mornin’! How are we all? I have a wee proposition, if ye wouldn’t mind giving me a few moments of yer time. Would you consider…JUST SODDING OFF?!”
http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/The_Hobbit:_The_Battle_of_the_Five_Armies
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So it seems that even when Pietersen is playing county cricket one isn’t allowed to discuss him on the county cricket blog? How bilious.
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Classic exchange with wctt:
Good to see WCTT on message:
Me: Are you the new moderator? Censoring btl. Interesting.
WCTT: No Max – but lots of the cricket site has become flooded by people posting a flood of rancourous comments often not referring to the actual cricket. The county comments sections have been remarkably free of bile and (as you can see by Daddy Pig’s thread) full of lots of people who observe and discuss county cricket: often with great insight and humour. It would be a shame of that was lost.
Me: Ah, the bilious inadequates? Don’t worry, I’ll pipe down!
Sounds like Kevin Pietersen and Jonny Bairstow are both batting well. What’s good for Yorkshire and Surrey is good for England.
He is Mike Selvey and I claim 10 pence.
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Oops another inconvenient 100 by KP!
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1st ton in 2 years. Back to his best then, like cook? 😉
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Regarding the possible duplicity towards Pietersen, I suspect the ECB are praying that his results in county cricket mean that they don’t ever have to make a decision on it.
…….as he makes three figures at the Oval.
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I think most people on the blogs have agreed that the treatment meted out to Moores is shabby. I haven’t yet seen any apology note from ECB though.
Does someone know if an apology has been tendered even if behind closed doors? I hope this happened and that the info does seep / leak out to public.
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Just read Nasser’s article on the dailymail and can’t stop wondering why he didn’t put his name in the ring. His views usually make sense and devoid of the usual management jargon that have come to be part and parcel of most cricket commentators, they usually carry weight.
He says, Strauss needs to come clean on the KP situation. I agree.
Although he scored a century today, I am not sure if England can fit him in the test squad, in his usual no. 4 slot. Root has made that his own through consistent runs. I still hope he plays in the shorter formats for England though, coz I don’t think he’s done as an international cricketer on the basis of skills. Can anyone help clarify what Strauss’s remit will be? responsible to selection of staff? or the final eleven as well? Strategic or operational role for him?
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Strauss absolutely has to put personal grievances from the past and pronouncements about ‘trust’ aside and confront the Pietersen situation pragmatically in terms of what’s best for England cricket and what will win international competitions.
Things started to go badly wrong with Pietersen back when they made him overall captain because they had the idea (stupid in the modern cricket context) that there had to be one unifying captain across the 3 formats. Well, that notion bit the dust some time ago and the rumour is that Strauss sensibly wants separate coaches for Tests and one-day again.
I’d go further and hive off the T20 team. Allocate a specialist coach and specialist selectors for T20. Don’t select KP for ODIs or Tests but put him in charge of the T20 side as captain. Tell him his mission is to win another T20 World Cup. Stand back.
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Very much agree on separating Test and one-day coaches and captains.
I’m not sure enough T20I cricket is played to support a specialist coach just for that. Outside of the T20I WC most T20 is played in franchises rather than between countries.
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The ECB have got plenty of money though, when they’re not spending it all on paying off dismissed personnel. They can afford a couple more coaches.
Granted the T20 coach wouldn’t be that busy as there’s only a few T20Is tacked on to each Test series. But the T20 selectors would be, as you’d want a stream of young players coming through, so maybe there’s a combined role there somewhere.
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It’s pretty straightforward. All he needs to say is something along the lines of ‘there’s no vacancy in the middle order at present but if a place were to become vacant he would be considered for selection just like any other player.’
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Strauss’s remit is to keep KP out no matter what. Period.
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Absolutely – but watch out for suggestions of a T20I recall if they can’t hold that particular line.
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I am reminded of the Yes, Prime Minister approach to such things (with reference to the Foreign Office, but it works here about selection):
In stage one we say nothing is going to happen (can’t select him)
Stage two, we say something may be about to happen, but we should do nothing about it. (Well we could select him but we shouldn’t)
In stage three, we say that maybe we should do something about it, but there’s nothing we *can* do. (OK, maybe we should select him but it will be disruptive)
Stage four, we say maybe there was something we could have done, but it’s too late now. (Alright, maybe we should have selected him, but it’s too late now)
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Or the other yes minister one was appearing before a select committee.
Sir Humphrey “It’s not the job of a civil servant to comment on govt policy. You’ll have to ask the minister.”
1 week later minister appears.
Hacker. “It’s not the job of the minister to comment on civil service procedure. You’ll have to ask Sir Humphrey”
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Strauss has to make a decision about KP, and then tell everybody honestly what it is. Can he be considered to play for England again,,yes or no? That is the question.
If he says no, then KP will have been lied to once again by the ECB. No doubt Selvey will take great delight that KP gave up an IPL contract, and donated his salary to charity. (After all the Usual suspects kept demanding he play red ball county cricket.) Perhaps KP should consult his lawyers. However it will probably be a ….he said /he said umprovable case.
if Strauss says maybe, then Strauss is a bumbler who is playing for time. More duplicitous ramblings from the Fedual ECB.
Graves passes to Harrison, and Harrison passes to Strauss. Strauss now passes back to Harison who passes back to Graves. Great handling there by the boys, but they have only gone sideways.
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I can trace back a lot of bad blood related to KP to his dismissal as the captain. I can’t recall any untoward incident till then. That his feedback was leaked to public, selectively, and led to his dismissal seemed to have given birth to trust issues with ECB. I haven’t followed ECB history, but not sure if that was the first time they had let their skipper down in public. There was no investigation either. I think a lot of KP issues since then are rooted in this lack of trust. That said, if wasn’t brought back after the texts, it might have been a lot easier. But after making him go through the humiliating if humbling reintegration process, they again ended up in a bad situation because the management was not up to it. I like what Nasser says – don’t be afraid of mavericks. This character has won games for England and put bums on seats. For English cricket to get better, it has to ensure that these young players are encouraged to play like KP, as Hales has asked for. The game will be enjoyable, even if results take longer to turn around.
Would anyone pay to watch 11 cooks play?
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Yep, you’re right. He’s pretty open about this in his book. From early 2009 on there was an atmosphere of mutual suspicion between KP and the ECB which was only exacerbated by stuff like the IPL.
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Indeed, hence my earlier post about Moores and Pietersen entwined in a dance to the death as unwitting proxies for wider issues. What are we to make of it all? Was Giles Clarke humiliated? Did he foresee global commercial domination with Pietersen as the posterboy for English cricket? That rings true. Otherwise it really is hard to imagine what Pietersen could have done to engender such irrational loathing to the detriment of English cricket. It clearly extends way beyond the dressing room.
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150 up.
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Ha ha ha
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Strauss: “FFS, can’t someone from Leicestershire get this C**t out?!?!?!?!
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http://www.espncricinfo.com/magazine/content/story/872835.html
I’re read some steaming piles of shit in my time but, geez…poor Ed, straw for brains.
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I like the bit where he says Cook is self-depreciating.
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This is precisely the sort of incontinent drivel I’ve been referring to. What does he take his readership for? Oh….
Second hand ideas, non-stories, incompatible US sports references shoehorned into a piece on English cricket, in short: claptrap. Bet he meets his word count every time though.
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It really is poor. I just don’t know how it got past an editor. I mean, it’s awful.
It reminds me of an incident a number of years ago. A chap was standing trial for killing a girl and then having sex with her corpse. His explanation was that, far from killing her, he had just been walking along, seen her feet sticking out of the skip and thought, you know, why not?
A barrister friend of mine remarked ‘It’s not an attractive defence, m’lud…’
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Strauss announced today that, at great expense to the ECB and in order to improve the standard of English county cricket in division 2, a small panel of elite bowlers from around the world will be on loan to all counties for a maximum of two 4 day matches. Requests should be made to the D,oC.
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To all counties, except Surrey, by any chance?
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Paul Newman…. I love thee so…
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Speaking only for myself, I don’t care “where info came from” (the ECB should, but that’s their problem) and I don’t want Strauss to “take a decisive stance” on any selection matters at this point.
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Only Newman could be so stupid to write such crap.
What you forget Mr Newman is The ECB changed their position. Graves hinted to KP he could play again if he scored runs at county level. The ECB changed the dynamic. But Graves has now employed someone who does not believe KP should return. So now we need a decisive stance. Who’s driving the car, Graves or Strauss?
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I’d like him to take a decisive stance on Alastair Cook.
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Very good, Lionel! bet Strauss wishes he’d thought of that. Several left-arm spinners amongst them, no doubt.
Meanwhile Richard Rae is getting a little carried away…
“a fairly straightforward chance at first slip off the bowling of a distraught Ben Raine when he was on 1110”
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KP 200*
ROFL. Also LMAO.
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Congrats to KP on 200!
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New article by Maxie at TFT.
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Ed Smith……”The case against Cook tends to rest on the conviction that he is about to crack, that he can’t take much more. This theory is conveniently self-perpetuating because it encourages his detractors to press on with their endeavours. ”
I have never once heard anyone claim that the case against Cook rests on a notion he is about to crack. Smith has created a straw man argument that he then defeats, claims victory, and goes home.
The case against Cook is not that he will crack (this is a man who will hang on like a limpet. Remember Mrs Cook told him to stay) It is that he is no good. He is not a good motivator, or motivational speaker. he is not a good tactician. He only knows defence and bowling dry. He can’t handle spin bowlers, particularly new ones. His declararions (assuming they are his and not Moores) are over cautious. He can’t take criticism (something should be done) he is very aloof (Butler is not ready for Test cricket)
The idea Smith tries to compare Strauss series against WI against this recent series is ludicrous.,Strauss had just taken on the job. The team were fractured after the previous captain, and coach had been sacked. Cook has been in the job for over 2 years. He ain’t learning Mr Smith.
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KP has almost 200 more than the next highest score.
Still, England are so damn good they definitely don’t need him.
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Damn that fruit fly…….237 n.o. Sorry – 241
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In fact, KP now on 241 with next highest score a 36 by that newcomer Sangakkara,…
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251.
30 fours and 6 sixes.
Rubbish.
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Congrats to KP on his highest ever FC score. Alright, he was dropped a few times. But that never stopped anyone celebrating a 96. I mean a century. I mean a double century. I mean a 250. I mean a career-best score.
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Reminds me of the tweet someone posted by Mark Boucher after KP was sacked…
“Wow, England must be very good because they have just sacked their best player.”
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PMSL.
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Surrey have gone from 8/317 to 9/477. So 10 & 11 have tried to stick around with the recognised batsman. Interesting concept. Your test team might like to consider trying it out sometime.
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The frustrating thing is Jos Buttler’s tried it and the bowlers haven’t quite understood that they’re not Brian Lara Mk2
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All I can say is that if he’s not playing in the first test against NZ, your selectors are not just f***ing mad, they’re criminally corrupt.
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Brother, every day that goes by and with every strange new job that’s created, ain’t that the truth… the damn truth.
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I would love to know how many other players they’re not allowed to select…
Carberry
Compton
Bopara
Patel
Panesar
Tremlett
Hales (after his latest comments?)
This innings surely has to turn the spotlight on Andy Flower’s little black book of unselectables?
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KP now on 292 – same score as Leicestershire all by himself…
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300 up. what a massive c*nt.
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This really is flipping hilarious.
Dunn’s just got 4. His first run in 74 runs (got off the mark second ball). 86 run partnership and he has 5 of them.
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It’s just Division 2 runs, guys. Triple centuries are 10 a penny in Div 2.
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305* You’ve gotta laugh.
And still they try…: (I’m going to post this comment from the G CC blog as the link won’t take you straight there):
I played in a very good club side against a former player – a c*** to use the new director of ECB cricket’s vernacular. What was really interesting was that bejng very good he was able, against a former all-county attack, chasing a not insurmountable target, to remain unbeaten on a very low score (less than ten) after 30 odd overs just to prove a point – he was better than us.
Guess all I am saying is that the really good players, especially if they are of a certain bent, can do much as they please because they care little of the team and all of themselves and are good enough to please themselves depending on how their performance will raise/lower their stock. The occasional match-winning performance glosses over their inherent selfishness. ECB – caveat emptor. These characters are fiendishly difficult nay impossible to manage at club level, let alone in today’s market driven professional cricketing economy.
Inherent selfishness….. what does this person think gets any young man to the top level in professional sport? They’re all selfish. The job of a professional sports management is to get the best out of abnormally self-centred and ultra-competitive young men. But a few are much, much more talented than the others.
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Heard on radio commentary:
“‘ Billy Bragg has just scored another century for Glamorgan and Paul Horton has one for Lancashire; I don’t suppose they will get a mention in the papers tomorrow”.
You see it’s all just about him, isn’t it?
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The fairest comparison is, of course, to Prior last year.
He scored one county cricket century in April, after underperforming in the Ashes, being dropped from the international side for legitimate cricketing reasons, was carrying a ropey achilles, and was possibly economical with the truth regarding his fitness with the ECB.
But that was, apparently, enough to warrant his reselection with an entirely legitimate replacement waiting in the wings.
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According to Piers Morgan, Harrison and Strauss were/are intending to call Pietersen tonight to tell him has no future with England.
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326* overnight.
They’re going to make themselves look truly stupid.
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Going to make themselves look truly stupid?!?!?
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Even by their admittedly exalted standards.
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Then there might be some proper trouble afoot for Team E.C.bloody.B.
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How does Piers know this? A leak?
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Bit of a thread developing in reply to this one:
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Please don’t quote Twitter trolls 😉
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I don’t like to use bad language, so I say the following with much regret: Simon Hughes, you are an utter cnut. Stick yer engaged up yer arse, you bloody never-were. Goddammit, when will you pompous clickbaiting freaks just accept you were always, always wrong about Team England, and at least mostly wrong about KP. Just sh*t off you twat.
Sorry again, espeshly to any younger readers.
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I was a bit slow here – have only just realised what a deliberately snide and shitty tweet that is from the man who called Downton “a debonair, decent, dignified diamond”. Because if such a nonpareil said you were disengaged, Kevin, it must be true.
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Only been about 18 scores higher than this in the history of First Class County cricket in England.
Still, we definitely don’t need him in the England side cos we’re soooooo good and wonderful.
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Must be a bad day, Pam Nash has protected her tweets again…
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Alex”Stewart”just said on 5 live that KP is now in a car heading for the meeting.
He also said the members at Surrey were chanting “are you watching Andrew Strauss?”
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Credit to KP – he’s doing what has been asked of him.
Unfortunately of course, it will be written off as “only Division 2” – see the contrast with the way the press leapt to acclaim Cook’s CC warm ups with Essex last year…
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Bloody. Fantastic. Marvellous. Incredible.
But all in vain. Kevin Pietersen wins the battle, but the Blinkered Blazered Buffoons win the war.
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Let me get this straight, KP has such a poor character there’s no choice but to sack him, and people like Sangakkara and Dravid are just poor judges of character. Selvey and Newman and Pringle and “The Anal-ist” are more reliable. Cook on the other hand is a lot like Alan Border, according to Ed Smith.
You can learn so much about English cricket from its journalists, but it’s not the lessons they think they’re teaching.
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Add Steve Davies, Chris Tremlett, and Jason Roy to that, who clearly love him, as well as being in awe of him.
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Listened to 5 live earlier, Aggers seemed fairly sure the meeting Pietersen was off to tonight with the ECB, was to tell him he was not wanted. That is until his triple century today, even Aggers conceded that Strauss might look a tad foolish were he to slam the door in KPs face after today’s events…..
Stewart made a very salient point. The new coach, whoever they may be, might decide (if allowed) that KP is his best player and the team should, therefore, be built around him. Negating the argument regarding England’s middle order being ‘so strong’ and in form. Again Aggers had to admit this was a good point. Actually Stewart spoke very well, damn it, why could he not be DoC…….
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Great stat –
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Highest score for Surrey since 1899 as well.
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Tom Collomosse has a good record of being right recently –
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On the Telegraph’s online poll after 1900 votes it’s 90% for bringing him back. Given the amount of effort the ECB’s yellow journalists put into saying “trust he shouldn’t play”, I find that both extraordinary and entirely understandable.
This is a big turning point for English cricket. It’s either KP + Gillespie + competing, or Cookie + Farbsy + mediocrity and boredom. If Strauss does the job he was chosen to do (i.e. keep KP out), he can kiss the PR aspect of his work goodbye. He will wind up more hated and laughed at than Downton.
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You’ve got to hand it to KP, his timing is immaculate. Every spanner he’s thrown since the book has been timed for maximum disruption of the ECB works.
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5 live about to have Agnew on. apparently he has news……….
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Agnew says KP will not be allowed back. He has been told tonight. Decsiom taken before today.
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I hope England lose all seven Tests this summer. Fuck them all.
#notarealfan
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Very well, then: outside cricket we remain.
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Me too: f*ck ’em all. F*ck Strauss, Cook, Graves, Harrison, the dressing room, the b*st*rd laptop, Bracey, Broady, Swanny, Jimmy, Big Cheese… f*ck em all, and the last 18 months. If I had the power to gypsy-curse the ECB I’ve already done it. I will take no pleasure in this Summer’s Tests beyond whatever NZ and Aussie do to Strauss and Team Waitrose. They can go to Hell. I might regret my choice of words tomorrow, but tonight I’m surprised I’ve been this mild.
This improves Flower’s chances of re-taking the coaching role no end, doesn’t it?
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Well if it is the end of the road what a way to go out by scoring 300 and making Strauss look like a complete tit. Thanks for the memories Kev.
England wants yes men and utilitarians. Blazers galore.
Oh one other thing, Colin Graves nobody will believe a word you say anymore. Why open the door to shut is again? Smacks of incompetence.
Oh god, another tit, Hughes is on now saying its all about KP. “Listening to the quotes he said I want to do this, I want to play for England. It’s all about KP.” Can’t listen to any more. The man is an idiot.
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He’s doing the “All Blacks no dickheads rule”. Stokes and Anderson, habitual sledgers. Broad, petulant arse. Cook, childish brat. This is pathetic. Absolutely unforgivable. I hate English cricket with a passion.
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Oh, and he “puts money first”. Where the hell do you start?
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I switched it back on and Hughes was going about texgate again. Compared it to being unfaithful to your wife. This is some of the most bitter shit Ive heard. A real Pygmy of cricket journalism. They hate him. hate him with a passion.
If only we had a no dickheads rule for the cricket writers.
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I like the All Blacks.
Their “no dickheads” rule didn’t stop them picking wife-beaters, though.
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Strauss is going to sit down tomorrow and make himself look like an absolute buffoon. Even more of a fool than Downton. And this after the shambolic handling of Moore’s dismissal. 72 hours in post and he’s a disaster already.
No self-respecting coach is going to want to work for this shower, surely?
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Oval crowd shouting out: “Did you see that Andrew Strauss?”
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Not sure what Hughes thinks ‘puts money first’ means, but KPs wages from Surrey are going straight to his charitable organisation and Stewart said KP would by out the remainder of his IPL contract if need be.
More on 5 live, Marcus North states he does not know KP, but then is happy to slate his personality and talk about him being a prickly character, but he does not know him!
Hughes back on, don’t even get me started, trying to say his current test average of 47 is poor……where is the balance in this slot, the ex-pro in support of KP. North is a knob, ‘credit to the ECB it’s a strong decision’ but he does not know him, so how can he say/know…….tosh!
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47 is literally the highest Test average by an English batsman in 33 years. It’s good to have objective experts, isn’t it?
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More from Hughes;
Textgate was like cheating on your wife.
It’s Pietersen’s first century for 646 days.
“He used to have the X-factor, now he has the I-factor”. What does that even mean?
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How is this man payed to opine on the game we love? I might be speaking out of turn, but has KP wronged him in someway that we do not know about? There is no reason for him to behave in this manner and continually denigrate him, he just scored 326*. The Analyst, you just look like a scorned lover.
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It means Hughes has lost his mind. He has gone completely. Someone ring the owners of the cricketer magazine and tell them their editor is batshit insane.
But he let it all out tonight. All the hate, all the bitterness. All those cosy dinners with darling Alastair. Mr entitlement. Talk about me me me.
I would stay off Twitter tonight. The usual suspects will be eating their own babies.
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Lots from Hughes on Twitter in the last few minutes.
Highlight so far: “I love KP”.
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Wonderful tweets coming from Gary Lineker:
Gary Lineker @GaryLineker 7h7 hours ago
I see @KP24 has scored 150+ just before Andrew Strauss starts work. Only a c**t would do that.
Gary Lineker @GaryLineker 3h3 hours ago
Sometimes in life you have to take a deep breath, swallow your pride and do what is right. Time to end this @KP24 childish nonsense.
If they do shut the door on KP after today then the ECB will show itself as petty-minded, vindictive, moronic, weak, pathetic muppets that we have all thought they were.
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Annie, ffs, there is no if. It is done.
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You have to laugh.
Really, you have to.
It’s the only response we have left.
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That and “come on, New Zealand”
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Yes I agree and I can’t wait to see B McCullum smash us, like KP might have done them and the Aussies….
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Nor can I wait for Boult/Southee vs Cook.
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You genuinely could not make this up. No disrepect intended to Gary Lineker but when even the Match of the Day presenter is making your selection policy look as childish and ridiculous as it is, then you need to swallow back that pride and do the right thing, right? Hello ECB
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I thought I was done with England, now I know I am.
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Even by ECB standards, this is absolutely disgraceful. Surely they can’t get away with it?
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They will, because of the lickspittles this blog and its predecessor have been railing against for 15 months or more.
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Stupid f***ers. The ECB continue to move in ever decreasing circles, so consumed by their hate of one player that they sacrifice everything to it.
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I simply cannot support English Cricket anymore. Strauss is the ‘jobs for the boys’ baffoon we all feared and Harrison is as knowledgable as Downton. Going against the fans wishes because of the vindictive say so of Flower, Cook and Prior. What does he actually do that is so bad? I’d rather they fire Cook, Anderson, Broad and Bell, and get KP in to captain. Or at least offer him the One day and twenty20 teams where the aforementiond players will (or should) not play a part.
Strauss will live to regret this decision. Outside cricket has been raised to another level.
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Remove all of the other arguments, all of them. There’s one point I can see, whether you love KP or hate him, or any of the stripes in between. How, fucking how, are you going to persuade a good coach (or even a decent one) to run a side where he can’t pick the players he thinks should play? Catastrophic…
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We’re now stuck with Jimmy W. No other “Chairman of Selectors” would play by these rules
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One word: FLOWER.
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I always want to England to win. But good God the ECB make it hard.
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I just don’t understand it. I didn’t understand it when I was sitting on the Tube in Feb 2014 and checked the news on my phone and it said Pietersen had been sacked. I still don’t.
They’re mad.
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I think you’re right. The ECB Twitter account is even showing highlights of his innings!
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Strauss should be fond of KP, after all he would have never have been captain (and in his current job) if KP never complained about the useless coach that Strauss has just fired.
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An extremely good point.
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The same could be said for Flower, of course.
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These people are unbelievable. Graves, Harrison and Strauss are obviously just as hopeless as their predecessors. Two examples in a week of how not to do things. Any hopes of change at the top dashed already. After all these years I feel like Arron about the England team. Thanks for that ECB. You really are the most duplicitous incompetent shower
May you have the team you deserve.
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Seriously, what can we do? I can’t take this sitting down anymore. I want to do something but I’m neither clever nor creative enough.
I repeat: this change sucks. Actually, it sucks AND blows.
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I have decided to go to the NZ test at Headingley and make a very visible protest. Everyone is welcome to join me.
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But how would we ever recognise you?
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@Tregaskis
Ha! Very droll. I’ll be the one with a big banner. Keep a lookout for me!
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One word that will sink Strauss. #cunt
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if only Graves hadn’t told KP to play county cricket, Strauss wouldn’t have been humiliated like this.
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You know that’s how Agnew, Selvey and the like will spin it? In many ways it’s factually true, doesn’t make it any less stupid.
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In some respects it is good that KP decided to play county cricket. Has immediately destroyed Strauss’ credibility. In short, Strauss will be paid a fortune, for being a lame duck, and eventually relieved of his position, because he can’t be effective anymore. Brilliant ECB.
Now we know why the ICC stitch up was needed. England needed more money, to pay out in legal fees and contract terminations, since the ECB insists on running things even more incompetently than hitherto imaginable.
And short of reappointing Moores and or Flower, which international standard coach would even be interested in the position now? I can already see the likes of Kirsten asking themselves: “Okay, I have to pick Cook. Do we have to organize a swimsuit contest to pick the other players?”
This puts all arguments of merit to rest. This definitely improves the chances of England being the first country where they can perform brain transplants. You cannot make a career in sports if you have one, and act as as a sentient human being, rather than some Waitrose-inspired drone.
You’d be tempted to hope that calamity strikes, England lose the first six Tests, and then they’ll be forced to beg KP to come back in the team. And KP saying “No.”
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Strauss press conference is at noon tomorrow (Tuesday).
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Andy Flower now runs the ECB. That much is obvious this evening.
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Yes.
And he doesn’t like Colin Graves.
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Anybody know where the cunt’s press conference is taking place? Who wants to stand outside shouting abuse at them all?
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Need to go to bed. Bloody livid. Probably still will be when I get up.
12 hours until we know the reasons why. Or maybe we’ll just get more vague nonsense.
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Confusion certainly does bloody reign. It’s the hereditary monarch of English cricket.
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that nick hoult tweet seems entirely consistent with Piers Morgan’s reticence.
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They’ll blame it on the book. The book he wouldn’t have written if they hadn’t sacked him.
This is what happens in a system that is run on favouritism, politics and nepotism. Everything is measured according to usefulness to the status quo, and anyone who wants to measure things by the quality of the sport, and speaks honestly about is a ruins it for the comfortable pigs with their snouts in the trough.
He did nothing wrong and has always been the consummate professional, unlike the idiots in the press who have been trained to bark at the mere mention of his name. You don’t sack people like that. Not if you want to win games and compete. And if someone’s behavior has been so bad as to warrant sacking, you don’t fucking gloat manically about it for years afterwards. You fucking idiots! You’ve lost your best player and now you’re going to lose. And you don’t care as long as you keep your privileged position in the press, management, or the captaincy. The game of cricket its own way of exposing hubris, and boy have you guys been exposed these last 18 months. What do you prefer, getting laughed at by the opposition or being hated by your own fans?
England cricket doesn’t deserve Kevin Pietersen, and it doesn’t deserve such loyal fans as those I’ve been reading here. And neither the fans nor KP deserve the treatment that your yellow press has meted out to you.
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Quite the maddest thing about saying he won’t ever be picked again on the day he makes 326* – if that’s what they really have done – is that it makes KP into a martyr. Any Joe Bloggs who doesn’t really follow cricket can see that it isn’t fair. Even people who know a bit about cricket and don’t think much of KP can see that you don’t throw away that sort of run-scorer unless there’s some spite involved. People who previously believed the propaganda will be wondering if he’s had right on his side all along.
I still can’t believe that Strauss and Harrison have been quite that daft.
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Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity.
Hanlon’s razor. The ECB’s cri de coeur.
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Zephirine’s Law: In any given work situation, the worst decisions will be made by men who are afraid of appearing weak.
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Good one Zeph. And so painfully applicable.
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They’re all a bunch of hypocrites. Compared to some of the other big names of English cricket, KP has been a saint. There’s Gooch and his, let’s be honest, indirect/direct support of apartheid SA;
Atherton cheating, ie, ‘only drying the ball’ antics;
Strauss using vile language live on air;
Nasser with his defiant 3 salute, which was a blantant ‘fuck you’ to the ECB & Selectors, etc. Imagine if KP did that? He would have been enemy No. 1.
Textgate has been blown so out of proportion. I’d wager that there isn’t a team (across all sports) in the country in which at least one player hasn’t referred to the captain/manager as a bit of a knob. These guys are professionals. Everybody has had a boss who was a bit of a knob. Big deal.
The same hypocrites seem to show a blind eye to the insidious parody twitter account, which was not only divisive, but also quite hurtful.
Strauss is moron. One of the greatest players of this generation is being cast aside on the basis of a grudge. I can see this house of cards tumbling down. We’re pissed off. And there’s a lot of us. I hope that Strauss is hounded about KP at every press conference, press appearance, public event.
I’ve traveled to see England touring. I was the guy in a group of friends that would round everybody up and drag them to a cricket match. I was a fully paid up member of English cricket. I’ve had enough. I’m astounded that it’s possible that I could ever want Australia to humiliate us on a cricket field. But the day has come. I won’t watch any of the cricket this year. I’ll only watch if I hear England and the weasel twins are getting pounded (I’ll probably watch quite a lot then).
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English cricket fans are treated like mangy dogs. ..
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Reading Simon Hughes (on the BBC website), his view is that there’s no way back. Arguments include an average of 34 in last 10 games he played for England, Yet no mention of the rest of the team, that was averaging the same or of Cook, who averaged below 34 in 2013 and in 2014. Selective indeed. And, then there’s the reference to the book. Of all his crimes, this is irreparable it seems and no mention of why he was forced into it? Oh and then he too believes KP was disengaged in last ashes. Again, without talking of the poor strategies (that KP didn’t buy into) and the knee injury that may have limited his contribution. Will these “experts” ever learn to admit they got it wrong? Horribly.
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Melbourne blows the disengaged bollocks apart immediately. You might as well argue Cook or Anderson were disengaged in Barbados last week.
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The only reason the “experts” get any visibility is because they still belong to the big brands people still relate to. Would people ever bother with the views of Selves / Aggers / Simon etc. if they weren’t at Guardian / BBC etc? I think these guys need to be concerned, they too could go the Pringle way for not respecting their readers.
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