Sport360° view: Decision to ditch Pietersen heaps pressure on Cook

Jaideep Marar 11:34 06/02/2014
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  • "Flower & Cook may have been guilty of not handling Pietersen properly."

    England stands divided over the decision to axe Kevin Pietersen, which effectively signals the end of his career.

    It has triggered a raging debate in cricket circles with many insisting the England and Wales Cricket Board have been unjust in pulling the plug on their best batsman.

    There is no doubt that Pietersen could have continued to don the England shirt and be a key player as they look to rebuild from the ruins of the Ashes disaster.

    That would have been the easy option but Pietersen brings with him a larger-than-life personality which is in constant conflict with the world-class batsman that he is.

    It has often invited trouble leading him to be considered a maverick. It is this trait which the ECB believe could derail their rebuilding plans, so for the sake of future team unity they sacrificed Pietersen the batsman.

    They would also have considered the fact that Pietersen will only be around for two more years so why not invest in a youngster who can probably deliver the goods for a longer duration.

    Another aspect which would have swayed their decision is the fact that England will be playing their next two Test series at home, against Sri Lanka and India.

    The home turf is always a fertile ground to introduce a fresh crop so that when the next away series begins they would have gained roots.

    There are stories doing the rounds of a bust-up between Pietersen and his captain Alastair Cook during the Test series in Australia and if they are true then it would have played a huge part in the star batsman’s sacking.

    No management would tolerate a controversial character questioning the leadership. By dismissing Pietersen they have also sent a signal that Cook is going to get a free hand to shape England’s future and rightly so because the captain holds the reins in the team’s progress.

    It also brings us another aspect of the debate where the likes of Michael Vaughan have argued that the onus is also on the team management to handle characters like KP in a positive way.

    On that count, both coach Andy Flower and Cook may have been guilty of not handling Pietersen properly allowing him to drift.

    But the situation during the Ashes was such that the team management was itself fighting a grim battle with every defeat undermining their credentials and probably they were expecting the senior players to pitch in.

    It is clear that the team environment was not at its best in Australia and probably cost Flower his job.

    So, Cook may have done away with one difficult character but what if another surfaces among the new crop to challenge him? How is Cook going to deal with that?

    That may not happen if England start winning and it is here that Cook will be under pressure. Not only will he have to provide leadership to a young side but also rake up the runs in Pietersen’s absence.

    The affable 29-year-old opener will also have to shed his image of a dour tactician and come out with all guns blazing to inspire confidence in his young team.

    The ECB will also do a huge favour to Cook by coming out clear on the whole Pietersen saga rather than just ferreting the ‘for the sake of the future’ line.

    As Sir Ian Botham has suggested, the cricketing public has the right to know why they have dispensed with their best batsman at a crucial time when his services may be needed the most.

    If it is a disciplinary action, then spell it out and if it is his constant problems with the team management that did him in then spit it out once and for all to ensure there is no bitter taste left in the mouth.

    As for Pietersen he is likely to continue to ply his trade in the Twenty20 leagues around the world and rake in the moolah. In many ways he perhaps brought this on himself but international cricket will be poorer in his absence.

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