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Who should lead England?
Is KP the right man for the jobs?
Last updated: 3rd August 2008
Pietersen: favourite to succeed
Michael Vaughan has resigned as England skipper and Paul Collingwood has followed suit by stepping down from the one-day captaincy.
Kevin Pietersen is the favourite to be handed both roles when the selectors make an announcement on Monday.
But is the big-hitting batsman the right man to take over both jobs?
Should Andrew Strauss be appointed Test captain? What about a recall for Andrew Flintoff?
Or how about taking the team in a totally new direction and appointing Kent skipper Robert Key?
Share your thoughts....
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Comments
Ben Cahill says...
K.p. has to put his foot down now. i take it sidebottom is injured so all kev had to chose really was bopara or broad (he couldnt drop colly after his ton on a plasic pitch) so hed takes broad cause england dont really know are they short on runs or wickets which is it are they not getin enough runs or are they givin up to many runs! broad is know an all rounder and england need him but my piont is why cant england name a 15 or 16 man squad and say hee kev do you shah bopara or key to come in do u want hoggy jones or harmy or do you want to leave it as it is. would he play ambrose if he could choose between him prior jones and mustard he should have a choice off two ! also bumble has been calling for bopara all summer he gets into the squad and bumble says he is a division two player why not shah! england could have the players so why not use this dead rubber to see what these young guys can do
Posted 15:00 6th August 2008
Karl Newitt says...
The England Selectors must have the easiest job in the world! LEt's just pick the same team that played last time. It doesn't matter that it's the team has lost the last two games. Make some changes; change the whole team! Why hasn't Kabir Ali been picked? He is the leading wicket taker in the first class county game.
Posted 14:54 6th August 2008
Bhavesh Patel says...
I can't believe KP has left out Ravi Bopara at an oppurtunity to see what he's made of. Its a match where, in my opinion, England should be looking for alternatives, since their recent selections have failed. Bopara has continually shown his for at County level, and this could have been the perfect time for him to have a good match and gain some confidence at international level. Obviously not, I hope South Africa win the last test, but more importantly, the India Sri Lanka match will be the one to watch this week. C'mon INDIA!!!
Posted 13:09 6th August 2008
Jimmy Low says...
I think KP will be good replacement for MV as he has no previous experience of captaining top teams and i feel he will totally refresh the England line up and give a rawer element to the team. Like his batting he may take chances but this can only help England. MV was a great captain but KP has to be given chance to make his mark.
Posted 12:10 6th August 2008
Dean Chadwick says...
I think that Kevin is the right man to lead England in all forms of Cricket. He's by far our best batesmen and i think he'll be a good captain. Freddie said he dosen't want to doit and i don't think Strauss or Colly would be a good choice and Alalstair Cook is a Future England Captain but he's too young right now so there is noboddy else appart from KP As For Michael Vaughan Well it's a shame he resigned as captain but these things happen. He has been Englands greates ever captain as far as i'm concerned and his record shos that. We'll miss his unusuall feild settings but i'm sure KP has some strange settings of his own. Micheal Vaughan is a great batsmen one of Englands finset and he'll definatley be back for the serise in India so all that is left for me to say is Thank You Michael you've been grate!! And Good Look KP
Posted 11:36 6th August 2008
Michael Copley says...
Kevin Pietersen is an incredible talent but he is not a captain. He never captained any team here in South Africa...even at school level. I feel his batting may suffer because of the added pressure of captaincy. I hope England aren't setting him up to fail. Rock stars don't make good cricket captains. Andrew Strauss ( another born in SA) should be captain.
Posted 11:19 6th August 2008
Gopal Srinivas says...
This morning Peter Moores says he will give Kevin Pietersen a free run of the 4th Test match.....Then why should we waste money and time employing the Coach..... I would have thought the coach should always have an input at al stages on and off the pitch... Kevin Pietersen is a poor choice for English Captaincy... ECB could easily have apointed a temporary stand-in Captain , may be even a NON-PLAYING Captain and utilised the rest of the month to discuss the situation thoroughly and come up with the correct choice... I am afraid it's poor management in UK Sports again . No tennis players , multi-million Footballers do not even qualify for the EURO cup , let alone win it and soon there will be no cricketers too unless the Sports Minister is made to take immedate action
Posted 10:33 6th August 2008
Errol Cant says...
KP for captain, YES ! given the (unfair) treatment he has received from narrow minded South Africans I believe that he showed a lot of character.He has a lot to learn but is a very determined player that will never let England down as he will always give 100% for his country.I would make him captain just to annoy the Proteas captain ( Smith) who enjoys trashing KP in the press knowing that he is forbidden to respond.
Posted 09:30 6th August 2008
Richard Bee says...
Why whenever there is a change and an unexpected one, does the whole media circus and has been crew have to jump in with their tuppence worth. Firstly if Duncan Fletcher and his band of merry men hadn't been in such a rush to publicly crucify old Freddie then the job would undoubtedly have been easily solved, so Mr Fletchers thoughts should be dismissed and the paper recycled, ask any expert on team or moral building and they will laugh you out of the building at the way that was publicly handled. Freddie by the way wouldnt be my choice but just a natural progression forward with the team in place. Maybe Collingwood or Trescothick could take over ohhh hold on na weve humiliated them too along with many others who should be in the squad !!!! erm who else is on the list ??? Firstly how about replacing the powers above for someone who can manage to leave their personal feelings at home when they get to the office for someone who can actually manage talent because its blatantly obvious and admitted that this bunch of clowns has trouble with that. All that said, come on KP show us you mean what you say about going with your gut feeling and get your hair dyed blue again you clown, or do the supreme beings believe thats not very captainly. Good luck KP and England you'll need it with that lot in charge.
Posted 07:37 6th August 2008
John Hutton says...
I have read all the comments posted and in my opinion 2 things are put forward loud and clear. First Michael was undoubtably an excellent captain, will be missed in that position but made a brave decision which hopefully will help towards continuing his career with England without the pressure of captaincy. Second the majority of comments posted acknowledge KP as a gifted, talented, exciting and flamboyant player but the burdon of the captaincy on his head may well detract from what he is good at which is playing exciting cricket. My main point is, if we as Joe Bloggs/General cricketing punters can see the folly of putting KP in as Captain why can't the selectors, have they just taken what they see as an easy option because KP is such a popular guy and will be generally accepted by most without thinking of the more far reaching concequences. I think perhaps its time Joe Bloggs/ General Cricketing punters had more to say about the competantcy of the Selectors.
Posted 05:44 6th August 2008
Steve Hellawell says...
Well firstly i think England have made the wrong decision in appointing KP as the Captain. That's not because i dont think he'd do a good job, its more the fact that i think it'll affect his game alot!! KP is by far our best batsman and if he's not firing on all cylinders next summer i can see another 5-0 Ashes white-wash, even if the Aussies are nowhere near as strong as they were in 06/07. Our middle order is too brittle and has folded time and time again, its very rare we have posted a decent score if KP hasn't contributed with a big innings. Look at Bell, he can't score runs under pressure and as far as im concerned shouldnt be in the team. I know he hit 199 in the 1st test but that is the only time in his Test Career he has done anything under pressure. He gets too many attractive 20s and 30s then throws his wicket away!! If i were the Selectors now id get rid of Ambrose and let yound Davies come in from Worcestershire to let him bed in over the winter in preperation for the Ashes and id also have Simon Jones taking the new ball in the winter over Jimmy Anderson. If we have any chance of taking the Ashes Jones has got to be in the 11, and i think Hamry should be up there with a shout aswell and not trying to sound Nostalgic but depending on how Siddy bowls over the winter theres the call to get Hoggard back in. Dont get me wrong i think Siddy has been absolute quality over the last 12-18 months but if he has a poor winter i wouldnt hesitate in bringing Hoggy back for the Ashes! Anyway ive said what ive gotta say but no doubt the selctors wont change anything at all....get Gravevney back as far as im concerned!!!
Posted 00:09 6th August 2008
Sylvia Line says...
i think kevin kp is a great choice nice to see english cricket progressing. and not picking so many stuff shirt players kp is exciting and a great pressence.give the guy a chance i think he will get better and better. he is also our best batesman for a long time.so shut up and time will tell
Posted 21:33 5th August 2008
Dave Stocks says...
Once again,England selectors will shoot the team in the foot by burdoning one of the best "flair" players with the captaincy.Look what happened to Botham,Gower,Flintoff etc when they were made captain. Robert Key,50 average,lead Kent to the finals of the 20/20,4th in the 4 day game and progressing well in other one day comps should be captain.Remember Mike Brearley?Not the greatest of players,but a hell of a captain. Read of Notts,without doubt the finest keeper in the country should get and keep the gloves for England. Lets give some other batsmen a chance before the ashes.Where does keeping the same team get you,a series defeat against South Africa,that's what.
Posted 17:54 5th August 2008
Michaqel Brown says...
I think it was a mistake to elect Pietersen as captain. He should be left to concentrate on his performance as a possible match winning batsman. A long time ago the selectors made a similar mistake with Sir Ian Botham. I would have preferred to see Strauss as captain and the inclusion of Robert Key in the squad as a number three batsman. Also Panesar showed his limitations as a test spin bowler due to his lack of spinning the ball both ways. He will not threaten the best until he does this instead of going from flighting the ball to faster deliveries which appear to be the only variation he has. We need to encourage wrist spinners in our cricket. Where are they and what is being done to find them?
Posted 17:26 5th August 2008
Nick Cresswell says...
I think KP is a good choice as captain. The people saying he isnt good enough for the captain and he only thinks about himself is ridiculous. How many times has Pietersen come in to bat and resuced england and got them out of trouble? We would have lost the last game against South Africa by a huge margin unless, but KP came in and played well. Also i think england need to bring back harmison, as he has bowled very well for Durham.
Posted 09:36 5th August 2008
Christian Brown says...
So much has been made of the captaincy choice it has overshadowed what really should be the main issue which is the again glaring oversights in the selection policy of the test team. In a dead rubber they have picked exactly the same squad apart from the enforced change because of Vaughn. Geoff Miller when asked about this point simply replyed that we were unlucky not to win and we were close! We have failed to bowl out SA twice in all matches so far and have never got that close to doing so, persisting with average bowlers who in fairness all do their best but against SA this is not enough. It seems that loyalty through being able to run through the average NZ line up is clouding common sense. We have a bowler in Simon Jones who was never dropped just injured and has all season taken wickets at an incredible strike rate and yet all he gets is a call up for the lions match, we are never going to beat Aus with this team and it will not be Pietersen's fault just like the events of the last few weeks aren't Vaughn's, the selectors once again are the ones destroying our chances of reaching the top in test cricket
Posted 09:27 5th August 2008
Hannah Jackson says...
I think if they make Kevin Pietersen Captain it will cap off a ridiculous summer of selection. He has in no way shown he would be a good leader-if anything he is a selfish player-his frustration at getting out on 94 last week wasn't him annoyed he'd let the team down-he was angry he hadn't got himself the 100!
Posted 13:07 4th August 2008
Andrew Bradford says...
How can you have a South African captain England? I'm sure that wont go down well with the poms.
Posted 12:59 4th August 2008
Mike Hamilton says...
KP should not be captain never have your best player in charge it is to much pressure on him to peform then as well as win test matches if you ask me Andrew Strauss should be captain
Posted 12:48 4th August 2008
Paul Eveleigh says...
I cannot believe that England would go for Pietersen. Surely a captain must be capable of thinking for the team. Pietersen, good batsman that he is, seems incapable of thinking for himself!
Posted 12:31 4th August 2008
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