http://www.thefulltoss.com/england-cricket-blog/around-the-houses/
I don't agree with the personal abuse Cook is getting. However, if he is the only person stopping England picking there best XI and let's suppose KP is in that team or thereabouts, then he shouldn't be England Captain. What he is doing is using his personal bias to hold back his team. While a captain has to be happy with his team, it should be solely on merit. If I was Strauss I would of told him to resign if he didn't want the best XI on the pitch, and that's the message I would of given the cricketing public - we pick the best XI and play cricket from now on, and Cook didn't agree with that philosophy.
I listened to the five live podcast and it's clear now why Vaughan rang up the ECB and told them no thanks after a couple of days thinking it over - he didnt feel he could do the job on those terms. He referred to the role Strauss has as a "figure head", "public face". What he meant was take the stick for others.
I don't disagree with you. Absolutely you should have your best team out there, but not at any cost. But by allowing KP back after so many misdemeanour's, what are you saying to the rest of the players? Stay in another hotel on tour if you like, KP did. Not getting on this flight? OK mate, no worries, just make sure you turn up for practice tomorrow...
Don't want to drive the sponsors Jag? You rock up in your ferrari mate, Jag will pull the plug for breach of contract, there's a couple of million quid gone, but don't worry, you're happy.
You gobbing off again about your team mates lack of ability in the dressing room while they're out there batting? No problem, can I get you a foot stall while you do?
You want to sit back and watch the skipper, his wife and nipper take sickening abuse, that is more likely than not affecting his form? Yeah, no worries.
It works both ways too - don't assume that no action was taken internally for the Twitter parody account abusing KP...
People like Sir Clive Woodward and Sir Dave Brailsford talk about the thousands of little improvements that amount to significant gains in sport - that's why they were so successful, nothing was left to chance. I've seen both of them do keynote speeches. The emphasis they place on team cohesion and the importance of group dynamics is massive. You start to allow little transgressions and it spreads.
I do think the ECB have thrown the baby out with the bathwater. Do what Vaughan said - parachute him in if needed for home tests. I'd consider that -no more than 7-8 days with the team, buying into the core values and ethics. There's no way I'd take him on tour though.
I know we were number one on the world and won the ashes post texts with KP. I know his book only came out after his sacking, I get that. But everything from that and since is too much. He should've done last year what he did this year. Straight to Surrey, no book, score shed loads of runs and he'd have quickened the sacking process for Downton, Cook would've had him back in, as he did in 2012, minus the book and Twitter abuse. Moores would probably still have gone. He would've been back for the World Cup...
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Topic: KP - the maverick's return? (Read 43331 times)