Patel and Finn putting on great last wicket stand for England ......32 from 13 balls

Shyytte.......put the mockers on that.

Press conference at mid-day where it's expected Andrew Strauss is to quit the captaincy.

Done a great job as captain but struggling with the bat so I think it's a good time to get him replaced

Seems strange to me like. Yes he's been out of form but as a captain his record is superb. We were world number 1 for a reason.

Also who would open the batting bell?? I'd have given him the Indian series to recapture his form and in all fairness he filly deserves a chance to silence his critics. The kp saga has Obv hit him hard but he's a strong character and I don't think cook would be a better captain. Kp proved yesterday what were missing and issues should be put to bed and IMO the strongest squad should play and once again IMO that includes both Strauss and kp.

Since he peaked in 2009 Strauss has scored two centuries. He's not getting any younger (he's 35) and his best days with the bat are behind him.

His captaincy has been good but captains are often made to look good when they've got ten other performing players. I don't think we'd have been any more/less successful with anyone else as captain. Cook will have learnt plenty from him and has all the credentials.

Not sure who I'd have opening the batting though, could Bell adapt to Test opening as well as he's adapted to it in the one day form?

Would Strauss play under cook like ponting has for Clarke?

Also saying he only peaked in 2009 is very harsh

Strauss peaked in 2009- don't think there's anything too controversial in that

It says something about our strength in depth when there doesn't appear to be any obvious opening batsmen straining at the leash to get a chance.
Surely there has to be somebody?????
I'll ask Boycott next time I see him.

I must have dreamed the 100 he scored in the 2010/2011 ashes then and the 50s. You mentioned he had 10 other players which is obviously true but his record is good and he also has more catches (excluding wicket keepers) than any other player in the history of the England team.

Has cook peaked also then??

Class quote from Boycott on TMS when the last test was on, along lines that the modern bats have edges like railway sleepers, thicker than the middle of his bats and that he would have scored another 10,000 runs these days

You could start an argument in an empty room.

Go and have a look at the meaning if the word 'peak', then come back and we'll resume the discussion

Go and look up the word argue and well resume our 'debate'

You say he peaked in 2009, I then pointed out he had a good winter in 2010/2011. Not arguing just pointing out a fact.

You said he had 10 men around him I pointed out he had taken more catches then any other player ever for England barring wicket keepers, once again not arguing just pointing out a fact.

Now were we go from here is up to you but at least come back with something better than look up the word peak

He peaked in 2009 in my opinion, I never said he's been shit ever since but he's never been quite as good as 2009. I fail to see how one century against the Aussies in 2010 changes that.

He had 10 excellent players around him and I think most captains would have got that team to number one in the world. He's done a great job, I've never said he hasn't so God only knows what point you're trying to make about him taking all those catches.

Wow........

I had my opinion which in your words is arguing, you have yours and that's ok.

I mentioned the catches because you mentioned his team mates.
He achieved that all by himself as he did the 7000 runs. If you had said he peaked at the 10/11 ashes i would have agreed by the way. Like I said I think it's harsh to
Say he had a bad series. Cooks average was immense that winter and maybe in comparison to him he wasn't as good but overall he had a decent series. Yes he isnt showing that form currently but neither are a few of them. IMO he is still along with cook our best opening partnership

In 2009 Strauss scored 1172 runs and averaged 53.42. Scored 4 centuries and 4 half centuries.

In 2010 he scored 657 runs at an average of 34.57. Scored 1 century and 5 half centuries.

in 2011 he scored 316 runs at an average of 28.72. 0 centuries and 2 half centuries.

Out of them three years, I think it's pretty accurate that he peaked in 2009 and his performances have slowly declined since.

Quit the lot, jacked it in completely!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/cricket/19408311

I wish all these sodding journalists would stop asking him about Kevin Pietersen

Didn't think he'd wrap in all together bit his form was on a downward spiral, it's a bit worrying how much experience we're losing from the top order. Not sure we have an outstanding candidate to open in Test cricket, Micheal Carberry maybe? Ian Bell? Struggling really after that.

Agree with TTP it's absolutely shocking that a bloke who has played 100 tests and 50 as captain is being grilled about that cheb end whilst he's announcing his retirement.

Trott?

I think I'd be promoting Trott or Bell and looking to find a new number 5.

I know we've argued before about going with 6 batsmen and 5 bowlers but would it be the worst idea at the minute? Otherwise I can see us bringing in a player for the sake of going with 7 and 4. Cook, Bell, Trott, KP, Bairstow, Prior, Bresnan, Broad, Swann, Finn, Anderson looks pretty solid to me and would still beat the Aussies.

Trott could open but I think they'll keep him at three which is the hardest place to bat in the order.

Joe Root from Yorkshire is another one. Would be a very inexperienced top 6 with Root, Taylor, and Bairstow though not ideal for India away.

Samit Patel will probably play in India.

If South Africa were half as strong as they think they are they would be able to provide us with a decent opener with English grandparents before he makes his South African debut.

Hopw different is it batting at 3 to opening? Surely little different than coming in at 0-0 than 0-1.

I reckon Trott could adapt pretty well and looking at the bigger picture, I don't think we have a strong enough top six to be risk bringing in a new boy to open.

Trott could easily open but he wouldn't be the issue it's who bats three, three mentally is the hardest place to bat in a cricket team as you could be in second ball of the match or sit with the pads on all day. Trott is a proven number three and should stay in what has been previously problematic position for England.

What about position 4? You could be in third ball of the match or sit with the pads on all day?

On that evidence what you are saying is completely correct, I did only mention the ashes series though in 10/11 were he averaged a solid 43.85. Alot of 2009 was played against a piss poor west indies side swell by the way. His average this year to date was 36 so it wasnt as bad as the previous year.


Strauss will have his critics as most sportsmen do but he was an exceptional player/captain of our finest team ever and the press should be praising him rather than giving him more shit over kp. This Kp Thing needs sorting straight away by cook. Get this all ironed out and hopefully have a good winter with kp in the side and then stuff the fukn ausies next summer in the only Series that means anything. All this world number 1 craic is great but I'd take beating them everytime over being number 1.

I reckon bell will open and trott to stay at 3 and hopefully kp at 4. Who plays 5 could be anyone if bell opens

You could yes but 3 is just different I've played plenty of cricket and enjoy opening and batting 4 but don't really like 3!

It doesn't seem 5 minutes since Michael Vaughn packed in the England captaincy - but fair play to Strauss for knowing when to call it quits. As Sir Geoffrey said about Vaughn, once you've gone you've gone - Vaughn thought he'd get his form back in the County Championship but found he couldn't score runs there either.

Weren't most of his runs in 2012 against a piss poor West Indies side though? You can't have it both ways.

I don't really think Strauss has many critics, there's very little to be critical about other than his best days being behind him.

I personally don't think the Ashes is the only series that means anything, beating them means a lot not but it's not the be all and end all for me.

The right decision I think. It can't be encouraging to see your stats go down and not be able to do anything about it. Fine record, and to be applauded. Cook needs to sharpen his act up a bit though, quick time.

Interesting what I've just read about Pietersen, regarding his behavior during the Headingley Test. During his admittedly brilliant ton as they the players walked off 'KP' walked with the South African players and not James Taylor who had was shared a healthy partnership. When they got back to dressing room Andy Flower suggested that he maybe should have walked with his team mate and not the opposition especially when the lad he made a battling 30 odd, he replied in front of Taylor and the rest of the England team that it was "one of the worst 30's he'd ever seen"

Nice lad.

Allegedly?

Well Jack Bannister was happy to say it on national radio, mind he's never liked KP!

What difference would allegedly make by the way!?

Jack Bannister is a bit of a cretin in my opinion and is biased to the players who are the old school type of cricketer, he is one of the elitist MCC crowd.

The KP/Taylor stuff was widely reported last week and whilst I reckon there is an element of truth in it I'm not entirely convinced by it.

Jonathon Agnew made a good point yesterday that the players want to think about whether they want to be remembered as a very good team or an excellent team. They'd be a very good team without KP, but excellent with him. Geoff Boycott was never the most popular person in the dressing room but people tolerated him because of his ability.

I hope it gets sorted, I personally don't think there is any English sportsman as exciting as when KP is in the middle. I still stick by my prediction that he won't play for us again. 2 fingers to the ECB and off to that god awful IPL seems much more likely.

I hope Prior gets the vice captaincy too. He's the stand out candidate for me.

Listening to the radio and reading this thread and newspapers, there are some right fannies involved with cricket.

And Strauss is clearly one of them.

And Jack bannister cant stand Pieterson.

Cricket, more or less, is an individual sport played within the confines of a team game.

Cricket can only survive with big crowds attending international matches, at quite expensive prices.

Why the fook would anyone want to watch it, if they England team leave out their best player, by a mile, just cos he upsets the average joes in the team.

Grow up you fannies.

And from what I can gather, the most disruptive team memebrs are Broad, Anderson, and Swann.

Didnt Darren Gough twat Swann once, cos he is a gobshite?

I played cricket for years, and it is without doubt one sport riddled with poncy fannies at all levels. It was one of the reasons I packed in......it did my nut in.

I am surprised Andrew Flintoft ever got a game for England.......he really didnt fit the profile.

Cricket could do with getting rid of the hurrah henrys and public school boys.

Best thing to happen in cricket for ages was that bowler yesterday who stumped/ran out that guy without even bowling the ball.

Bringing the game into disripute? Fuck off.

Strauss was always going to leave if he had a bad tour with the bat, as he states himself it wasn't healthy for the team having him as captain when there were so many question marks over him playing. Don't think that makes him a fanny.

I don't trust Swann, there's something about him I'm not keen on. That Gough incident was years ago though.

People say KP upset the dressing room well what about Swann with his book slagging everyone off. However he fits the ECC line so nowt was said. Players like KP, Gough and Flintoff are what we need. Didnt Bresnan, who I think is a great player, come out and say the team and dressing room is better without KP, what a plonker. I can see him going over to the IPL in the new year and doing very well like he did last year and was giving Gayle a run for his money in the super sixes before he had to return to England.

Bresnan said nothing of the sort he was backing Bairstow saying that KP had been replaced by a quality player and who's to say he won't do as well.

Pietersen has fell out with every team he's played for he was kicked out of Notts (his team mates litterally chucked his kit out if the dressing room!) and Hampshire, as Bob Willis quite amusingly said the other week this break from the England team will give him an opportunity to fall out with Surrey!

Has it been everyone else's fault they he's been a problem everywhere he's been? It's true you don't gave to like your team mates but you've got to respect them to all pull in the same direction. I hope the issues are resolved because he's a great player as a person I get the feeling he's a complete and utter arsehole.

Bresnans interview was awful, a classic example of why sportsmen shouldn't be allowed infront of the camera. He tried to tow the party line but ended up just ostracising Pietersen further. Or perhaps he realises that a weaker batting line up without KP gives him greater chance of getting his game?

Swann and Anderson are clearly no fans of him and there's only Prior who has done anything positive to get him back in the side.

How fricking hard can it be to get on with another bunch of grown men?!

Errrmmm do you actually read this message board

There's no fucking grown men on here!

Don't know about that, I'm at least two stome bigger than I used to be and don't want to grow any more.

I was going to put the entirety of my SkyBet account on losing today but decided not to at the last minute as it'll ruin my enjoyment of the game. I can only see us getting paggered

Oh I don't know, sweet cheeks, if the money's right.........