Skip to main content

James Anderson: We didn't need this stand-off. The selectors must do what's best for the team

/li> 17

comments

Kevin Pietersen's comments after the second Test against South Africa at Headingley raised issues that have dominated the headlines.

The story took another twist when Kevin put a video on YouTube in which he made himself available for all forms of England cricket and we can only hope that is the end of the story for now.

Frankly, as players, all this has been a distraction we could well do without as we approach a massively important final match at Lord’s, one we must win to retain our hard-earned status as the No 1 ranked side in world cricket.

The stand-off between Kevin and the England Cricket Board over his future availability was not something we needed going into a big Test series.

Sublime innings: Kevin Pietersen hit 149 at Headingley

Nor, when we have a must-win game, was it ideal to see some of the things that have been said. To me it’s all been going on too long. I’m sure the two parties will have had a lot of discussions. All the players want is this to be put to bed so we can concentrate on the game.

It does seem bizarre that, just a week after Kevin played such a great innings, people have speculated that he might not even be in the squad for the Lord’s Test.

    More from James Anderson...   JAMES ANDERSON: Please don't mention the Ashes... 01/06/13   James Anderson: It's us, not the bosses, who want Ashes 'ban' 25/05/13   James Anderson: To get to 300 is overwhelming... even to talk of taking 400 seems crazy! 18/05/13   James Anderson: I know he was worried so Stuart's 'six for' is fantastic 16/03/13   James Anderson: I know I look pretty stupid, but it is emotional when you take a wicket 09/03/13   James Anderson: You've not seen nothing like our mighty Finn... 23/02/13   James Anderson: Records are nice but winning is all that matters 15/12/12   James Anderson: Winning here will be as good as winning the Ashes 08/12/12   James Anderson: Swanny has the skill and control to surpass Sir Ian 24/11/12   VIEW FULL ARCHIVE  

With regard to selection, it would obviously be a big decision to leave him out, even more so now after his apparent U-turn, but the one thing the selectors and management will do is take it all into consideration and do the best for the team as a whole.

I’m sure all the ECB want — and the coach and the captain — is for the team to play to their potential this week. And they will not want anything to disturb that, in particular the preparation from tomorrow up until Thursday morning.

Going into the match without Kevin wouldn’t be ideal because, as everyone who saw the knock last week will know, an innings like that is invaluable.

At the same time, no player is ever bigger than the team.

Kevin talked about having issues within the dressing room. What’s frustrating is that this was, literally, the first we knew about it. Kevin has mentioned nothing to us. From the time Kevin first announced he was quitting one-day cricket and why, we have tried to get on with things the best we could, even though there has been a lot of speculation.

Stand off: Pietersen is at loggerheads with the ECB

All I’d say is that to be successful as we have the past few years, you need all 11 players pulling in the same direction.

England have coped with players going in the past. When Kevin quit one-day cricket, Ian Bell stepped up at the top of the order. In T20s there was a hole and young Alex Hales filled it brilliantly. Senior players also seem to pull together and up their game.

Leaving aside all possible distractions, this is a hugely important game for us.

We worked hard for the No 1 Test ranking and if we were to lose it to South Africa at Lord’s, it would feel like we let it slip too easily after not long enough at the top.

Off the boil: England have lost five out ten Tests this year

I can’t put my finger on why we haven’t kept our form since beating India 4-0 last summer. It could be that, having chased something so hard for so long, we suddenly found ourselves with nothing left to chase and that, once we got to No 1, teams played against us with a different mentality.

We were the ones being chased. We gave a much improved performance at Headingley and with better luck in the first innings might have pulled off victory.

Importantly, Stuart Broad showed what a match-winning bowler he can be. But even if we do win we’ll need to have a serious think about how we play our cricket and how to keep on improving.

  More... I do make mistakes and I've changed my mind as I love being part of England team, says Pietersen in staged YouTube video South Africa claim Steyn and De Villiers are not at centre KP text storm



Popular posts from this blog

Study Abroad USA, College of Charleston, Popular Courses, Alumni

Thinking for Study Abroad USA. School of Charleston, the wonderful grounds is situated in the actual middle of a verifiable city - Charleston. Get snatched up by the wonderful and customary engineering, beautiful pathways, or look at the advanced steel and glass building which houses the School of Business. The grounds additionally gives students simple admittance to a few major tech organizations like Amazon's CreateSpace, Google, TwitPic, and so on. The school offers students nearby as well as off-grounds convenience going from completely outfitted home lobbies to memorable homes. It is prepared to offer different types of assistance and facilities like clubs, associations, sporting exercises, support administrations, etc. To put it plainly, the school grounds is rising with energy and there will never be a dull second for students at the College of Charleston. Concentrate on Abroad USA is improving and remunerating for your future. The energetic grounds likewise houses various

Best MBA Online Colleges in the USA

“Opportunities never open, instead we create them for us”. Beginning with this amazing saying, let’s unbox today’s knowledge. Love Business and marketing? Want to make a high-paid career in business administration? Well, if yes, then mate, we have got you something amazing to do!   We all imagine an effortless future with a cozy house and a laptop. Well, well! You can make this happen. Today, with this guide, we will be exploring some of the top-notch online MBA universities and institutes in the USA. Let’s get started! Why learn Online MBA from the USA? Access to More Options This online era has given a second chance to children who want to reflect on their careers while managing their hectic schedules. In this, the internet has played a very crucial in rejuvenating schools, institutes, and colleges to give the best education to students across the globe. Graduating with Less Debt Regular classes from high reputed institutes often charge heavy tuition fees. However onl

Sickening moment maskless 'Karen' COUGHS in the face of grocery store customer, then claims she doesn't have to wear a mask because she 'isn't sick'

A woman was captured on camera following a customer through a supermarket as she coughs on her after claiming she does not need a mask because she is not sick.  Video of the incident, which has garnered hundreds of thousands of views on Twitter alone, allegedly took place in a Su per Saver in Lincoln, Nebraska according to Twitter user @davenewworld_2. In it, an unidentified woman was captured dramatically coughing as she smiles saying 'Excuse me! I'm coming through' in the direction of the customer recording her. Scroll down for video An unidentified woman was captured dramatically coughing as she smiles saying 'Excuse me! I'm coming through' in the direction of a woman recording her A woman was captured on camera following a customer as she coughs on her in a supermarket without a mask on claiming she does not need one because she is not sick @chaiteabugz #karen #covid #karens #karensgonewild #karensalert #masks we were just wearing a mask at the store. ¿ o