Pietersen ready for the ashes?

[Dr Breakfast]

What's the collective NSC thoughts on our one day star fast-tracking to the full test team for this summer's ashes?

Personally I think we should reward his tremendous batting performance with a call up but there remain questions with how he'd respond to some of the Aussie bowlers. Is his technique refined enought to cope?

Furthermore, who would we lose from the current side? Would it be very brave to replace Thorpe or a simple matter for the selectors?

One thing's for sure, I'm dead excited about this summers tour.

 

[Gwylan]

... Furthermore, who would we lose from the current side? Would it be very brave to replace Thorpe or a simple matter for the selectors?

Nah, not Thorpe. Bye, bye Pieman

 

[geoffreyp]

agreed bye bye pieman...have to play pieterson i think, if he,s only half as successful in the 5 dayers he will still be great asset i would hope and could draw the focus of the aussies away from freddie as well, giving them two big hitters to worry about

 

[Dr Breakfast]

I like your thinking.

But, does Pietersen's withdrawal from the A team signify he will be selected in Summer or is it only a hint?

 

[geoffreyp]

i think it probably signifies that he does not need to prove himself further on an A tour. i would think he is pencilled in for ashes but who knows!

 

[Uncle Buck]

The issue is if you pick him, it will be for Key. Now is having Pieterson and Flintoff coming in at 5 and 6 a good idea? Especially is you are trying to save a game, as neither are the sort of players that will dig in.

Also moving Thorpe to 4, will that work.

Finally if Butcher is fit, he is a proven 3. So could Pieterson's selection unbalance the team?

 

[Dr Breakfast]

But just imagine being Rugby world champions (Ok so we've gone a bit shit since but we are still the holders of the cup!) and winning the ashes.

I would actually be able to speak with an Australian, head held high

 

[CHAPPERS]

I'd get him straight in. He showed his class in the one day games and looks like another player availbale who can change a game in a very short space of time. Personally I think Freddy's temperament has improved so much in the last couple of years that he could play at 5 with Pieterson at 6 without a problem. It would hopefully mean the end of Key and that can only be a good thing and it would also give us another excellent fielder.

 

[tedebear]

I would actually be able to speak with an Australian, head held high

ok I'll wait patiently

 

[Parson Henry]

The issue is if you pick him, it will be for Key. Now is having Pieterson and Flintoff coming in at 5 and 6 a good idea? Especially is you are trying to save a game, as neither are the sort of players that will dig in.

Also moving Thorpe to 4, will that work.

Finally if Butcher is fit, he is a proven 3. So could Pieterson's selection unbalance the team?

Uncle, I thought Pieterson dug in quite well in the last ODI and played sensibly building a foundation for the big hitting later on in the innings.

My niggle is the fact that he is South African. How do you/anyone else view this?

 

[CHAPPERS]

My niggle is the fact that he is South African. How do you/anyone else view this?

I think you'll find he's 'English' now.

I don't have a problem with it at all.

 

[geoffreyp]

My niggle is the fact that he is South African. How do you/anyone else view this?

funny one this because when Tony Greig played for England all i ever saw was a south african in an england shirt, yet with Lamby i never gave a toss about it. perhaps its because one gets ambivilent over time seeing as its the norm now...will feel same about peiterson i think

 

[Parson Henry]

I think you'll find he's 'English' now.

I don't have a problem with it at all.

Right Chappers.. and my Aunt Fanny from Bridlington is an Eskimo

 

[Dr Breakfast]

If he wants to play for us, I say let him play for us.

It isn't as if he's choosing England over his 'home nation' because we're better (as in the case of Rusedski for instance)

 

[Hannibal smith]

My niggle is the fact that he is South African. How do you/anyone else view this?

Simple really. When he's playing well he is English, when he plays badly he is South African.

 

[Dr Breakfast]

I think that's know as the Rusedski effect

 

[CHAPPERS]

Right Chappers.. and my Aunt Fanny from Bridlington is an Eskimo

Really? has her house melted yet?

Serisouly. He wants to play for England, he sees himself as English and in this day and age that's fine with me.

 

[Uncle Buck]

Uncle, I thought Pieterson dug in quite well in the last ODI and played sensibly building a foundation for the big hitting later on in the innings.

My niggle is the fact that he is South African. How do you/anyone else view this?

I just wonder if at present Bell or Butcher at 3, with Pieterson waiting in the ways is the way forward, it will be less disruptive to what is a settled and reasonably succesful batting line up.

I guess the beauty of playing Bangladesh for 2 games at the beginning of the summer, means we have some scope to try things out.

 

[Storer68]

Don't want to play hiom v Bangladesh - success won't prove anything we don't already know and a failure will merely put him back into the pot as an option .

Not a problem. only problem is that he HAS to bat at number 6 (ie last recognised batsmen) as the probable batting order will be

1 Strauss
2 Trescothick
3 Butcher/Bell/Key
4 Vaughan
5 Thorpe
6 Pietersen?
7 Flintoff
8 Giles
9 (Any fast medium bowler your care to name)
10 Hoggart
11 Harmison

and lets face it is not as if he's the first..................... (fair few Sussex players in this list)

Name Where Born

U Afzaal Rawalpindi, Pakistan
GOB Allen Sydney, Australia
JE Benjamin Christ Church, St Kitts
FR Brown Lima, Peru
RO Butcher East Point, Barbados
AR Caddick Christchurch, New Zealand
DB Carr Wiesbaden, Germany
JC Clay Bonvilston, Glamorgan, Wales
NG Cowans Enfield, Jamaica
MC Cowdrey Bangalore, India
RDB Croft Morriston, Glamorgan, Wales
PAJ DeFreitas Scotts Head, Dominica
MH Denness Bellshill, Lanarkshire, Scotland
ER Dexter Milan, Italy
BL D'Oliveira Signal Hill, Cape Town, South Africa
KS Duleepsinhji Sarodar, India
PH Edmonds Lusaka, Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia)
GM Emmett Agra, India
FL Fane Curragh Camp, Co Kildare, Ireland
JJ Ferris Sydney, Australia
JER Gallian Manly, Sydney, Australia
AW Greig Queenstown, South Africa
IA Greig Queenstown, South Africa
GM Hamilton Broxburn, Scotland
Lord Harris St Anne's, Trinidad
GA Hick Salisbury, Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe)
AJ Hollioake Melbourne, Australia
BC Hollioake Melbourne, Australia
ERT Holmes Calcutta, India
L Hone Dublin, Ireland
N Hussain Madras, India
RD Jackman Simla, India
JA Jameson Bombay, India
DR Jardine Bombay, India
IJ Jones Dafen, Carmanthenshire, Wales
AS Kennedy Edinburgh, Scotland
AJ Lamb Langebaanweg, Cape Province, South Africa
JDF Larter Inverness, Scotland
AR Lewis Swansea, Wales
CC Lewis Georgetown, Guyana
MJ McCague Larne, Co Antrim, Northern Ireland
G MacGregor Edinburgh, Scotland
JEP McMaster Gilford, Co Down, Ireland
DE Malcolm Kingston, Jamaica
ADG Matthews Penarth, Glamorgan, Wales
NS Mitchell-Innes Calcutta, India
H Morris Cardiff, Wales
WL Murdoch Sandhurst, Victoria, Australia
TC O'Brien Dublin, Ireland
PWG Parker Bulawayo, Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe)
WGA Parkhouse Swansea, Wales
Nawab of Pataudi, sr Pataudi, India
MM Patel Bombay, India
IAR Peebles Aberdeen, Scotland
PI Pocock Bangor, Wales
DR Pringle Nairobi, Kenya
NV Radford Luanshya, Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia)
KS Ranjitsinhji Sarodar, India
DA Reeve Kowloon, Hong Kong
WE Russell Dumbarton, Scotland
WN Slack Troumaca, St Vincent
GC Small Brighton, Barbados
CL Smith Durban, South Africa
RA Smith Durban, South Africa
PM Such Helensburgh, Dumbartonshire, Scotland
VP Terry Osnabruck, Germany
JG Thomas Trebanos, Glamorgan, Wales
AE Trott Melbourne, Australia
NC Tufnell Simla, India
MJL Turnbull Cardiff, Wales
CF Walters Bedlinog, Glamorgan, Wales
PF Warner Port of Spain, Trinidad
SL Watkin Duffryn Rhonda, Maesteg, Glamorgan, Wales
NF Williams Hopewell, St Vincent
SMJ Woods Sydney, Australia
RA Woolmer Kanpur, India
EG Wynyard Saharanpur, Bengal, India
RA Young Dharwar, India

 

[Uncle Buck]

Not a problem. only problem is that he HAS to bat at number 6 (ie last recognised batsmen) as the probable batting order will be

1 Strauss
2 Trescothick
3 Butcher/Bell/Key
4 Vaughan
5 Thorpe
6 Pietersen?
7 Flintoff
8 Giles
9 (Any fast medium bowler your care to name)
10 Hoggart
11 Harmison

and lets face it is not as if he's the first..................... (fair few Sussex players in this list)

Nice batting line up, but do tell as who will keep wicket?