Jan 07 2009
English cricket
So, the ongoing feud between the English cricket captain and head coach has come to a head with both Kevin Pieterson and Peter Moores resigning. It seems strange that egos should take over a nations sport like this. Whatever the sport, the head coach/manager has always been the boss, with the captain making on field decisions. This does not seem enough for Pieterson.
Last year, Manchester born Yorkshire cricketer, Michael Vaughan fell on his sword honourably and resigned the captaincy. He was genuinely tearful during the press conference, expressing his thanks to the players and backroom staff (including Mr Moores) and his belief that captaining your national side is a magnificent honour. His resignation followed a lack of personal form with the bat and poor performances by the England team. Vaughans behaviour was an example, to all national sportsmen, of decency, character and responsibility. The nations football team had shamed themselves, failing to qualify for the European Championships, and seeming like overpaid prima donnas, who had not spirit and no national pride. They had performed as though being selected to represent your nation was no privilege, no honour, just a money-spinner. Michael Vaughans behaviour was the antithesis of this.
Kevin Pieterson does not seem to be made in the same mould. Perhaps the fact that Pieterson is not English, having been born and raised in South Africa, and becoming eligible to play for the national team having spent five years in the country, is a factor. Perhaps it is because he is a big name player has affected his ego. Whatever the reason, his resignation should be accepted and England should offer the captaincy to Collingwood.
Pieterson came to the job when England had lost the Test series to South Africa, and the team promptly won the last Test against them. This what not really a surprise. Whatever sport you examine, whenever a failing team makes a substantive change, the players try harder, the slate is wiped clean, and the team usually has a good spell, though this does not mean that the original problems have gone away (just look at the Spurs football team this year). Vaughan had only been Test captain, with Collingwood captaining the one day side. Pieterson was given captaincy of both, although our one day side had shown some good form. In the 5 months Pieterson has been captain of both, we have won one Test; the final one against South Africa, when they had already won the series and were out to enjoy the experience rather than battle hard. We lost every one day game on the recent tour of India, threw away the first Test and drew a dull second one. The ‘dead bunny bounce’ lasted just one game.
Pieterson had no captaincy experience prior to his national appointment, which has been rather apparent recently. During the final Indian innings in the recent winnable First Test, Pieterson set unnecessarily defensive fields, with too many players set on the boundary to prevent fours and sixes, especially against batsmen new to the crease. We needed 10 wickets, yet he did not show faith in his bowlers. The classy Indian batsmen just placed the ball in the spaces and won the game. This was Pietersons responsibility.
Additionally, I do not think that a serving England captain should be writing a column for a national newspaper. Pieterson does so for the News of the World. It isn’t as though he needs the money, as lucrative contracts and sponsorship deals already ensure a very healthy income. Such a column can only cause disrest amongst the England team and staff.
It cannot be denied that KP is a magnificent batsman, with the ability to turn a match around with his skill. However, the captain is not God, and he seems to believe that he should run the ECB. Whether Peter Moores is the right man as head coach is debatable. His record of 8 wins, 7 draws & 8 defeats is hardly sparkling, especially as the wins have predominantly come against the weak West Indies team and New Zealand, whose successes in the one day game outweigh their Test performances.
With the Ashes later this summer, this is probably a great opportunity for the ECB to take a broom to the locker room. A new head coach, a new captain and a new direction should be announced. A tour of the West Indies is just two weeks away, and would be an opportunity to bed in the new group, build relationships and hopefully taste some success. This would also be a great chance to pick English born and bred coaching, with support from other nationalities, and a proud to wear the whites of England captain.
It has just been mentioned on tv that KP was part of the side that won the Ashes in England, but they failed to mention that he was also part of the side whitewashed in Australia eighteen months later.
Whatever happens, it should be an entertaining summer.
