After an almost two month hiatus it’s back to normal. We see the puritanical, pompous muppets firing at the blog and its commenters for the same old reasons. We ain’t cheering hard enough.
Some on here aren’t England fans, if they hadn’t noticed, and a lot of those who comment who are from these shores still feel betrayed. All the paeans to our glorious leader aren’t going to change that. If anything, they exacerbate matters. It’s really not that hard to understand if you try.
Instead we got a load of old twaddle and a promise that the chief muppet won’t comment on here. We can but hope. I offered him a genuine opportunity to write something on his blog about the achievement of Alastair Cook in becoming the highest non-Asian test run scorer in Asia, but he declined and gave me some links to his KP pieces? I’m as confused as I was before.
So, we come to Day 5. I saw something that said the draw was 20/1 on, and I think that’s generous. For England to have won, that lead needed to be 80 or 90 and perhaps have a little dart tonight. I don’t blame them for being cautious, and for grinding Pakistan into the dust of Abu Dhabi, not at all. This is a step up from the capitulations on good batting tracks at the Oval and Lord’s and a necessary one. Root, Bell, Stokes and to some extent Buttler got some batting time under their belts, but we needed a dasher to make a dasher’s hundred on a non-dasher’s pitch and I’m not going to stick forks in them for not doing so.
As for Cook, I’m afraid people who don’t want to understand aren’t going to be persuaded. Back in 2011, when Cook was piling on 294 in much the same way as he did in Abu Dhabi, even some of his staunchest allies complained that it was all a bit too self-serving. I thought that harsh in a game where time was absolutely no issue. I was egging him on to get 300. I’m a fan of triple hundreds. I love the quiz on Sporcle about test 300s, often forgetting Younus Khan, for instance! England haven’t had one since 1990. They haven’t had one away since the 1930s.
Times have changed. If this were Root, if this were Ali, if this were Bell, if this were Bairstow, if this were Stokes, I’d have loved to see 300. But it’s Cook. And I’m afraid I just don’t like him. So while I sit here and say it was an excellent innings, it has pulled England by their bootstraps to a position of total safety, and it is an innings no-one else in the England team of the past 20 years could have played, do I rejoice? No. We all know why, and I’m not going into it. To pretend that I’m joyless, or sour, is to miss the point. Was Cook’s innings a joyful one? No. No-one is going to re-watch it for its aesthetic beauty or languid strokes. You are going to sit back and go “that was some effort. What concentration. What ability” but there’s no joy there. He’s done a magnificent job. I just don’t like him. That’s it. In the same way our critics didn’t like someone else, but we’re not allowed to mention that, because we’re obsessed.
On to the pitch and the utter nonsense being spouted about “pitches like these will kill test cricket”. If every dull game at a World Cup football Finals would lead to these calls, then the internet would blow up. For every good Champions League tie, there are a load of god awful ones. I’ve been to nearly 1000 football matches. I’d say 20% have been shockers. You aren’t guaranteed great entertainment on any surface. Spare me, please.
This pitch is as skewed against bowlers as Trent Bridge was against batsmen this summer. But that doesn’t matter, because England win on the latter, and have a tendency not to on the former. In 2012, South Africa made 600+ for the loss of 2 wickets and Anderson, Broad, Swann et al looked no more likely to get a wicket than they did in Abu Dhabi. But as we got humped on that surface, nothing seemed to get mentioned. If chances were taken in this match, the game would be a fair way more advanced. They weren’t. I’m not saying this is a great wicket – it clearly isn’t – but spare me the “death of test” twaddle. England getting a draw here will be a very, very decent achievement.
If you watched the 2000/01 series in Pakistan we endured 14 days of toil, attritional cricket, lit up at the end by the drama of Karachi. In 2005/6 we saw Pakistan pile on runs and England fail to cope. In 2011/12, we saw a team all at sea against spin. England have piled on well over 500. It’s a very good base to prepare for the next game.
I know the last two months have been slow on here. That’s been because I’ve found more interesting things to do, work has been busy, I got a great trip to Johannesburg, had tons of home media issues to sort (seems to be almost there) and, well, I was knackered. I’m not sure I feel that energised now, but I’m sure as hell not going to be fed a pile of old cack by people who, as usual, wilfully misrepresent what we do here. I’m thrilled so many have returned for these test matches. We’re back to well over four figures a day again, and it’s terrific. TLG will be returning soon, the cricket will keep us going, and the media will make us howl.
Plus ca change, you vile lot. Plumbing the depths. They do make me chuckle.
Comments on Day 5 here. We’ll do a round-up at the end of proceedings. As always, you may not agree with me, but you can disagree here. I won’t take it from those who do it from the sidelines, and I will remain like that. It’s much easier when you are a contented person, and at the moment, life isn’t too bad at all.
UPDATE – Twitter is funny this morning. I mean rib-achingly funny.
Being Outside Cricket 
I’ve been out of the loop for a month or so (or unfollowed most on Twiiter), which chief muppet are we talking about Dmitri (if you don’t mind me asking?)
I think we’ve all had a bit of time off, after the ‘you’re with Cook or a branded a ‘jehovah’ http://youtu.be/MIaORknS1Dk
Anyway good too see you back…and agree, good innings, totally joyous, sums up England cricket to a tee
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Same name as my football team’s manager.
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Ah, that fella. Oh well, stopped listening to him a long time ago, got very boring….anyway good to have you back for the reasons why that chap can’t reply…
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I don’t intend to make the blog anywhere near as intense as before. It was seriously doing my head in. But it also must not be thrown away.
Contrary opinions are welcome, you just better be strong enough to stand them up, that’s all. If being combative, and caring about the game, is uncomfortable, well so be it.
I’m surprised about the negative garbage response, to be honest. I’m quite positive about an innings by a player I have totally gone off. I’m a bit surprised to be honest, as he’s subscribed for three months. Oh well.
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How did I ever sign up to this negative garbage?!
Can you remind me how to unsubscribe please Thanks
>
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I’m sure there must be something on the e-mail to unsuscribe. I can’t do it from here.
Glad it was this post that tipped the balance!
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Oh dear we must never be negative at any cost!
Dmitri I must say that I very
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Were you got at, alan? Have you fallen prey to those that say we do not cheer hard enough?
Let me know if you are safe. I’m worried your comment ended so abruptly!
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Sorry technology runs ahead of me. Dmitri I have to say that I very much agreed with your comment the other day, if I took it correctly, that neither a team full of Gowers nor a team full of Cooks is any good to anyone. To me the wonderful innings featuring Alistair and KP in I
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Oh n
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Oh as you can see modern technology has totally defeate
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I give up! But I hope you know what I mean.Dont
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I won’t, Alan!
Have a good rest of the night.
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Over and out.I must go back to writing lwttwrs
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Glad to hear you are refreshed and contented. Good write up, I’m sure their will be plenty of eulogies elswhere
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It’s a fine, fine innings. I’m actually struggling to find how I’m being misinterpreted here. Cristiano Ronaldo is a brilliant footballer, can’t effing stand him. Kobe Bryant is a brilliant basketball legend, hate him. Cook is tainted for me over the incidents 18 months ago, and that’s that. What has happened since with the press and ECB making him out as some saint, has made things worse. But I’d be mad to say this wasn’t an epic performance because it was. Others might disagree. I think they are wrong, but they can argue their case.
It’s not plumbing the lowest depths. That immature hyperbole and he needs to get over himself. But he knows that. It’s just a show to him. That’s life.
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I repeat what I said before about Cook. Nobody pays money just to see him bat. He doesn’t empty bars, he is not pleasing on the eye. Face facts Selvey, Newman and all you other groupies. And never forget you don’t pay to watch him bat either. You GET PAID to watch him bat. So less of the supercilious pompous tub thumping.
As for the haters who demand we genuflect. F… off. No, seriously, FUCK OFF!! Don’t tell me who I have to cheer for. As Dmitri says. I don’t like him. End of. I don’t care if he doesn’t sweat. I don’t care which school he went to. I don’t care if he is the most handsome male model to ever play for England. I don’t f…….. Care!…… I don’t like him.
So you can write as much bull as you want. It won’t make the slightest difference. He was, and was happy to be The ECBs man. Is he any good?….. He’s alright……. and as he has proved in this match, he makes an ideal donkey. Which is what England need. But he is not one of the all time greats and no matter what you write he never will be. He is a good flat track bully (as this match has proved) but a flat track bully none the less.
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I’m going to upset some about Cook. I can’t sit here and say 263 can just be dismissed. It was a very decent, very good knock under scoreboard pressure. Bell sticking in there was vital. Stokes making a half century at decent pace, along with Root meant we weren’t 440 tonight. But this doesn’t compare to the heat of the Ashes….in terms of competition and passion on here.
I agree with the points on the deification of Cook. Of course I do. It’s why, in part, I don’t care for him as an England captain. In part.
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It was a good innings. Nobody is claiming anything else. Anytime you get a 250 it’s worth having. I would have had more respect if he had done it at Lords in the summer.
He was dropped twice mind before he reached 200. Funny we always gloss over that when its one of our own. It’s only the groupies that demand more. They want absolute devotion. Well they ain’t going to get it. Not today or ever.
Cook seems to me, dare I say it, a bit of a physical freak. All this non sweating thing seems to give him a big advantage to bat very long periods in hot conditions. That’s a freak of nature. Not a talent.
They don’t like KP. That’s their right. I don’t like Cook. That’s my right .
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Good to see you back, always appreciate your blogs – do it as and when you please. I find myself reading less and less MSM. So please keep this going, including all the great BTL comments.
In terms of Cook, I am with you on this one. Part of Test cricket is batting for days, a skill that does seem to be dissapearing under the modern game. Cook is THE exponent. Well done to him. A bit like a modern day Boycott. It was evident in his lean years how that influenced the team performance.
The sanctification of him in the MSM has long reaching Soviet Pravda style proportions that is just mind bogling and very disturbing (Which seems to indicate we have not moved on…. reflected in the celebration of every minute milestone of KP he overtakes.) This leaves a very bad taste in the mouth in terms of my approach to Cook.
The man. I suspect he is like his batting. Very dry, very stubborn, focused on survival. Dour? I do not know him, but I do not warm to him. In my opinion he has not come out of the last 2 years with much grace. If somebody needs to bat for my life though….
Abu Dhabi.Play more competitive matches here (touring team vs UAE) and maybe the groundsman will have more off a chance to prepare a decent deck? I fell sorry for Pakistan having to play here. (How many people do not understand the Pakistan context? Shocking)
Day five – Well, I am sure the bowlers would like to have as little time out in the middle as possible, and Rashid would like some batting done. (Jinx – sorry)
What did we learn? About Rashid nothing, although I am glad he got selected. Opening with Ali. Could you imagine Cook AND Compton on this wicket? Finn. How much bad luck can a man have? The next match should be good.
PS – TLG Will pop into your other site to have a read. Facinating stuff.
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Phil Tufnell – Ex-England spinner on BBC Test Match Special: “Rashid has got to get into his work and get a couple of top-order batsmen out. You can’t just keep saying ‘He’s in the side to get nine, 10, 11.’
Remind me how long has Rashid been in the side?
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Gavaskar played some very dour innings but oh we cherished them when they got us out of a hole or put us in an unlikely winning position. You have a very similar bloke in Cook.
Ok he’s no master blaster like KP, but you need different styles in test cricket.
In Cook and Root you now have two players to build around for the next 4 years, why worry about the past?
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KP would complement Cook with his style and I would love to see KP batting with Root in the middle order. I think I speak for a fair few in that for me it was never KP or Cook. It was that we wanted both in the team.
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Agreed, both should be in the side
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West Indies lost by an innings in Galle.
Bit of fight from Blackwood. 10mw for Herath.
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Firstly, apologies for my many failed attempts to post a comment yesterday. My phone seemed to have a mind of it’s own. On the other hand I could just be a ham fisted old fool. All I was trying so pathetically to say was that I thought Dmitri’s point that neither a team full of Gowers nor a team full of Cooks would achieve anything on their own but that a balance is required was never better illustrated than by Pietersen and Cook himself in tandem in Mumbai 3 years ago.
I comment rarely for obvious reasons but I am a regular reader of the blog and I really cannot understand Neil Harris’s problem. Cook is constantly eulogised in the mainstream media and BTL. Those who comment here have a different view. Why does this so bother him? Why does it matter so much that he has to make snide remarks on twitter? It’s this kind of attitude by ‘England supporters’ that I have a problem with. I can remember the ashes from as long ago as 1956 and I won’t be told by Mr Harris or anyone else what my duties as an English cricket lover are. Don’t tell me this makes me unpatriotic. Most people in this country don’t care a damn about the England cricket team or cricket in general. I can’t remember the last time I saw a group of children having an improvised game of cricket. When I was young it was a common sight all summer. Don’t let’s be deceived by full grounds for ashes games. Most people don’t care anymore. Yet someone who clearly does care, whose obvious passion for the game drew me here in the first place, has to be traduced because he and his commenters don’t tow the party line. Truly I despair
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I don’t know what his problem is either apart from being an attention seeker.
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That when on form, and hitting the right notes, it gets a lot of attention that he doesn’t think it merits.
I know the written press read this. I’ve been told by more than one of them. I think this annoys people. You have to ask them why it boils their piss. There’s an obvious reason for me, but I don’t know that to be the case.
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His other “target” was The Full Toss which is well read too so guessing it’s jealousy. He wants everyone to get on but only if they agree with him.
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It’s Maxie. Not James. If anything Maxie got it a lot worse than I am now. He has a much thicker skin. He’s also an incredibly nice bloke. So he copes with it easily. I still need to learn!
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Well said Alan!
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My personal favourite is the “I’ve lost the talent I had” line.
He’s not been reading my poetry, obviously!
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Alan,
Many thanks for the kind words, although they are not necessary, but always well received. It’s good to know that people like it here, and that’s important. I think what happens with all this nonsense is that there is, at its heart, a fundamental misunderstanding of what my blog (along with TLG, who can speak for himself) is for. It is my conduit on the world, filtered through cricket. So I will respond on other issues in my daily life and they are brought in. So yes, when I see the blog, myself and individuals on it attacked, I will defend them, and I will do them in print, either in a blog post that captures other stuff, comments or tweets.
Therefore, I set my agenda and no-one else. If people don’t like it, they can choose, and some do, to go elsewhere. That’s fine by me. If I cared so much about hits and stuff, I’d have flogged my balls off over the past six weeks. I’m not in it for that. I’m not in it for a journo job, a gig at a paper, a recognition of anything. Lawrence Booth will tell you that I asked for HDWLIA to be left out of Wisden. That’s not the act of an attention seeker, no matter how much people will tell you otherwise. I also don’t do requests, especially from people who have no affection for what we do here. Absolutely no way.
You will have to ask people like Neil and Pam why they despise what I do so much? Fine. I’d take it in better spirit if one of them didn’t block me on Twitter, for instance, and then call me a coward! I’d take it better from someone who has his own blog but chooses to use Twitter to call me out. It’s his prerogative, but it’s a little funny being accused of being in a bubble myself! I think I’ve been pretty consistent for a couple of years now, but the criticism has amped up a bit recently. As for the anonymity bit – that makes me laugh. I might have to admit to being a bit wierd though (as someone who has a thunderbird puppet (or whatever) as their avatar and blocks people who never tweet her said).
As for the points about impromptu games of cricket. It is a point I make a lot. When I was in my teens we used to play on our council estate – football in the winter, cricket in the summer. We’d use the concrete bollards as our goalposts and wickets. Ad hoc rules about nicks hitting the big door behind one of the bollards being caught behind, and leg glances being outlawed as the batsman had to run to go an get the ball. I developed my limited offside game, and even, at times, learned to bat left handed. It was great fun. Now? All I see is kids on either bikes or scooters, doing not a lot in the way of ball sport. Even if you were not that good, you still played in my youth. This isn’t down to test cricket in Abu Dhabi, it’s a long-term ailment in many sports and it isn’t getting any better. I love the sport, but it’s going the way of many others; practised by fewer people, secluded from public view on pay TV and with more cars and less space on estates like mine, with more moaners about kids playing, less participation.
Alan, as someone of a good number of years, thanks for being with this slightly younger whipper-snapper. I do believe many think I have a mainly young audience because this is not the genteel, village green ambience people seem to want with their cricket. I’ve found from meeting some, and discussing with others, that this is a blog of a range of ages, and I’m pleased about that. I think the 60s are my black hole in cricket, where not a lot seems to be written (that I’ve read) on the era. People like Wes Hall and Ted Dexter (as a player) really intrigue me. I’m pleased we have people who know those times on here.
Thanks,
Dmitri
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Well done Alan, two great contributuions to this blog.
Your earlier attempts at communication above made me laugh, as I tried to imagine what was going on at the other end.
And with this comment, you’ve summed it up well. I don’t follow this Dmitri’s travails on twitter, life is too short for that, and I don’t know who Harris is, but I enjoy this blog for the reasons you mentioned. Well said.
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Well said Alan. Bravo!
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In case you missed this morning’s tirade….
This one’s my favourite…
Zeph, Julie, Annie. My Merry Men!
Ho ho….
Along comes Dame Evadne
Same old drivel…
The last post….
There’s a story behind Dmitri Old, there are several very good reasons why I keep relative anonymity, not that I have to explain them to anyone, and someone who has a Gerry Anderson puppet is having a go at my avatar? All right then….
Just so you know, people. Just so you know.
He amuses me. She amuses me.
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Good to see England making Pakistan battle quite hard to save this. If Misbah had been given out on a couple of ‘Umpire’s Call’ LBW shouts it would be even tighter.
There is a bit of turn at last although mostly when the spinners bowl more slowly (contrary to MSM received wisdom).
Pity some of the best cricket of the match is being played when most have given up on it.
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Well, Moeen survived on umpire’s call too, on Day 2.
And it seems Misbah survives another seemingly perplexing decision of Oxenford – catch given, but no bat involved, and umpire’s call on the lbw (34.6 over mark). That will get some moans going from the press, that will undoubtedly claim that England would have won, if it were not for the luck with the reviews (never mind the free wicket of Misbah they got on Day 1).
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Oh, and that Misbah review is exactly the kind of decision that I was arguing on a few months ago. It is as if the umpire does not have to determine if there would have been a possibility of an lbw review if it had not hit the bat …
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I think he gave it not out LBW. It might have helped if (a) that had been communicated to the audience and (b) they hadn’t run hawkeye unless that is part of the protocols.
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And it is part of the protocols. So even Matt Prior can’t lose his marbles over it.
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D’Arthez, I wasn’t saying that Misbah should have been given on those LBW calls – just that they were close and could on another day have been out. Of course one could argue Misbah is owed a bit of luck after the first innings.
The umpiring situation in this match reflects no credit on the ICC. What two of these umpires are doing on the elite panel, heaven only knows. The lack of Snicko is even worse (I can live without Hotspot).
Pity England don’t have any power at the ICC to have done anything about this….
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I know you were referring to other close shouts SimonH. At the moment I started writing my comment, the decision on which I expanded in my comment came up.
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Tea and Pakistan have a small lead but with just three wickets down. The DRS stuff with Misbah at the end probably completely sealed the game’s fate, as if it wasn’t known already.
Meanwhile, elsewhere, those not obsessed over KP are discussing him. Again, totally misconstruing the debate as I see it, but then again, there’s nothing new there.
On another subject, I really like Aamer Sohail as a pundit on The Verdict. He’s really a decent chap on there. Absolutely not what I remember his like as a player!
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Twist in the tail. Rashid doing well. Fear an Oval 2013 scenario where England could end up denied by the light.
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At this rate, even if we wrap up the last two quickly, we will have at the most 12 overs left to get them due to the light and the pace of play.
But thrilled to see Adil doing his thing.
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Second innings wickets so they don’t count.
#pringlelogic
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Too slow to take wickets at test level. Five wickets on debut.
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England spinner five-fors on debut (can you remember the last before clicking?):
http://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/stats/index.html?bowling_pacespin=2;class=1;debut_or_last=1;filter=advanced;orderby=start;orderbyad=reverse;team=1;template=results;type=bowling;view=innings;wicketsmin1=5;wicketsval1=wickets
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Going to say Nick Cook…. then I’ll check.
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One out!
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Maybe Rashid will be national spin bowling coach at Loughborough in 25 years? Wouldn’t bet on it though!
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If Eng run out of time/light/overs….will any blame be aimed at Cook for the self-centred latter part of his innings when upping the pace for the good of the game/team should have been his priority once the game became safe…..?
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Or the few overs England batted after Rashid fell? Just 8 runs coming from them, and eating away 3 overs and 15 minutes or so.
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Did we bowl our overs quickly enough as well?
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Pakistan had a slightly better overrate than England, as far as I can tell. Then again, my internet has been playing pranks on me, so I have missed most of the match (including the Pakistan collapse).
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No one is going to say anything about Cook, for many reasons but be fair his innings kept England in the game. If anything they’ll discuss why didn’t anyone else manage to keep with him & get quicker runs.
Fair play to Eng for pushing this game & Pakistan which had dull draw written all over into a game that could still be won.
I wonder whether Jos will be s scapegoat for the next game though. He hasn’t scored the runs Eng want from him & Bairstow is on his back.
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I agree. We needed one of our shot players to support Cook with a biggie of their own. That’s their job. Cook did his.
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Rashid 5-227 on debut 99 to win
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Buttler gone, 13/1 after 1.5 overs. He reviewed the original out decision, which eats up more time. Presumably Root, Bairstow and Stokes will have to do it.
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BTW, perplexing captaincy from Misbah. If light comes into play, would it not make more sense to bowl the quicks, since their overs tend to take twice as long?
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This is the fourth over. Been going 23 minutes I think. Not exactly racing through.
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Quite a go-slow, but England still in with a chance, provided the umpires don’t take the players off.
Sri Lanka tried a similar trick when defending 300 or so from 57 overs (which Pakistan duly chased). The umpires did not buy it, and though the Sri Lankans were complaining about the light, they made the Lankans get the overs in (and it was really dark by that point).
At least no one would think that Pakistan should have gotten the 19 overs in in 40 minutes – Sri Lanka originally had plenty of time for their 57 overs.
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It’s a lot harder to hit. We’re not getting many boundaries.
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Was there a meter reading earlier in the test to go on?
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That’s as I understand it.
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Well England gave it a good go. Kudos to Cook for ripping up the batting order. Was always going to be a tough ask – timing the ball on that pitch was difficult all game, and with no fielding restrictions Pakistan were able to cover most of the boundary options.
Did get the feeling that England were searching too much for boundaries in the chase, maybe had they aimed for more twos they could have gotten closer, but hard to complain given that a draw was 99.9% on at the start of play.
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Reminded of this game:
http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/match/63464.html
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Good shout. I was on holiday when this game happened. Never saw it.
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A draw but full credit to England for making a real game out of this on Day 5.
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Glad to hear David Lloyd claiming a moral victory to England and Cook claiming a win on points. The question no one asks is what would they say if the positions had been reversed? You also have to wonder why England folded so badly at Lords and the Oval this year.
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Think the key is that they need to back this performance up. When they are good they are good….
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Yeah but it wasn’t a “win on points”, it was a draw. When any other nation points out their non-winning efforts, they are mocked. But it’s OK for Cook to call it a win on points? I’m sure the media will be greatly celebrating the “win on points” too.
England did well in a game that was a pinned on draw, and Pakistan collapsed a bit at a bad time, but it wasn’t a win in any sense. England wasn’t good enough to force the victory.
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Fred
And no one will say that Buttler ‘s review used up valuable time, maybe enough for another over or that Bairstow’s six into a vacant area was a match loser.
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Man
I wasn’t able to watch too closely at that point (unfortunately, since it was the denouement of 5 days!) but maybe Buttler, as a junior guy, might have decided that there were other behind him who could have used that time. But in the spirit of taking responsibility, you can’t blame him for wanting to stay and do the job.
Not sure how England didn’t do it, the glimpses of the score I saw towards the end seem to indicate certain victory. But when I saw Bell come to the crease, the odds changed dramatically.
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Overs were lost on the other days as well.
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They played 5 minutes later today than on the other days. I think the umpires bent over backwards to give as much time as possible to England. They needed a bit more than a full hour rather than the 50 minutes they got. The Buttler review took 3-4 minutes. The Bairstow 6 another 3-4 minutes. And Pakistan could easily have snapped up 2 wickets in that time. The result was fair. An England win would have been a steal.
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On another forum, yesterday morning while Cook and Root were going well I made a comment that if England got a lead of around 80 at the end of day 4 they should try and have a go at Pakistan.I must confess that at the time I thought they would get the lead before the end of the 4th day. However it took a bit longer and I was glad when Cook called them in. Maybe it is the Bayliss influence but whatever I thought it was a good move because I felt that if England had any chance it would be to put some pressure on a possibly nervy Pak batting line-up. I also felt that it gave an opportunity for the spinners to have a bowl without any pressure.
I will admit that England did a fair bit better than I thought in getting close to chasing it down but given that the game finished early on the 4th day I can’t say I’m that surprised at the final result. Well played to England overall but the introduction of Shah and Azhar will make life harder for the rest of the series.
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If anyone fancies a good rummage among the slime read some of the BTL comments after this piece in the DT. Words fail me
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/cricket/kevinpietersen/11936805/Kevin-Pietersen-England-have-never-told-me-why-I-was-axed.html
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My mobile version spares me.
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Ah. One of our favourites commented. How lovely.
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Good to see Matt from these parts shooting down some total bs about Amla.
Matt provides detailed evidence. The bloke comes back with, “really? some bloke I met in a bar once told me….”
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It’s the “why does he get more attention than Cook” when the malcontents trip over themselves to froth and rage on KP stories, not letting them lie. 120 comments on that piece, most torrents of anger. 30 odd on Cook.
Yet it’s our fault. This obsession.
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Yep, that was depressing. The full spite of the small-minded English twitching their net curtains and bitching as anyone the slightest bit different walks by.
It was a bad interview, inviting bad comments. Interesting about Gooch, though, which nobody BTL picked up on. GG, Flower, Essex, how they do crop up in this saga.
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Xenophobia is alive and well…
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