Kevin Pietersen Ruled Out of Ashes
Achilles Trouble Means Pietersen Will Miss the Last Three Tests
The sheen of England’s win over Australia at Lords – their first since 1934 – may already have worn off by the expected, but no less monumental announcement that star batsman Kevin Pietersen would play no further part in the Ashes after undergoing surgery on a bothersome Achilles tendon injury.
Kevin Pietersen is England’s finest batsmen and the only player in the team to average above 50. Conventional wisdom states that his absence will seriously hamper England’s chances of regaining the Ashes, despite their 1-0 lead in the series. This time, the prevailing view may be incorrect.
Pietersen’s Infamous Sweep Shot
An argument could be made that Pieterson has been England’s biggest disappointment in the series despite scoring more runs than Alastair Cook and Ravi Bopara. In the opening Test at Cardiff, he had made an atypically serene half-century before sweeping a ball from spinner Nathan Hauritz that pitched well outside off stump. It was a shot so irresponsible that former England captain Tony Greig believed Pietersen should be dropped to teach him a lesson.
He only compounded his mistake in the second innings by leaving a ball that went on to hit the stumps. To sum up: Pietersen got out hitting a ball that he should have left well alone and then was dismissed leaving a ball that he should have hit. That is not expected from a batsman who is in the right frame of mind.
Pietersen was equally out of form in the second Test at Lords. In the second innings, when quick runs were the order of the day, he limped to a painfully slow 40-odd. By then, the strain of his Achilles was clearly showing.
The Arrogance of Kevin Pietersen
It is now widely accepted that Kevin Pietersen is one of the cockiest players around. Australia sledges him on the field by calling him “FIGJAM”, which stands for F*** I’m Good, Just Ask Me. It is this arrogance that gives him the self-belief to pull off shots no one else has ever played, such as the reverse hit. But he also attempts shots that show no regard for the state of the game and the effect his dismissal would have on the team.
Correcting the Mistake of Ravi Bopara at One-Down
England’s biggest folly in the Ashes has been playing newcomer Ravi Bopara at one-down. Bopara’s tendency to play the ball in the air is better suited to the lower-middle order. Batting at number three requires the patience to build an innings and to stabilize the team if an early wicket is lost. With Pieterson no longer able to bat at number four, Bopara can move down the order and have a chance to shine. Either Ian Bell or Robert Key can then be recalled to the England side and take over the one-down slot.
England were very fortunate to escape with a draw in the first Test. Their historic victory at Lords can be attributed to the opening batsman and the bowling attack. With Kevin Pietersen no longer spearheading the middle order, it might finally give England’s other batsman to emerge from his shadow and take their country to an unlikely series victory.
Kevin Pieterson Out of Ashes
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