Whilst this blog has been supportive of KP in the respect that a balance needs to be found in the cricket calendar and that there are far too many ODIs, the behaviour of England's premier problem child this week is beyond the pale.
There is no doubt that England will be significantly weaker against South Africa with KP's absence given that the team is struggling to find an answer to the No6 dilemma - without adding no4 to the problem - but the selectors have done the only thing they can do by dropping a player who is single handedly undermining the entire group.
Whilst Strauss has not exactly been setting the world on fire for some time now, his leadership and the partnership he has forged with Andy Flower has been paramount to England's success and if KP's presence is no longer a positive one then he must go.
The issue of the alleged sms' that have been sent is an entirely ludicrous situation. Everyone knows that you remain loyal to your teammates no matter what and you certainly don't go running to the opposition of all people. Those actions alone are disgraceful.
KP's youtube stunt is also miles offside with the timing - around the same time as Mo Farah was winning gold - showing the entirely false sense of importance that Pietersen feels he has.
It may well be that KP had rumbled that the ECB were going to call his bluff and was attempting to pre-empt his dropping by holding out a very public olive branch. Whatever the reasoning, the fences should have been mended privately and not played out to the public gallery - especially as KP was at pains to stress in the past he wished to keep all the discussions private.
Players are a long time retired from international sport and hopefully Lords will give Pietersen time to reflect on what has transpired and hopefully decide to knuckle down and want to start scoring runs for England again.
His teammates will be dismayed for sure at his absence but more so in his betrayal of a dressing room that seems totally at odds with his portrayal of his cutting an isolated figure. KP needs to stop talking and start batting, if England will take him back that is - No Nonsense.
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