Close Menu
  • CRICKET
    • TRENDING
    • OPINION
    • News
  • IPL
    • Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB)
    • Chennai Super Kings (CSK)
    • Mumbai Indians (MI)
    • Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR)
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
The Cricket Lounge
  • CRICKET
    • TRENDING
    • OPINION
    • News
  • IPL
    • Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB)
    • Chennai Super Kings (CSK)
    • Mumbai Indians (MI)
    • Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR)
The Cricket Lounge
OPINION

World Cup 2015: Why England Shouldn’t Pick Kevin Pietersen

Unnati MadanBy Unnati Madan01/10/2014Updated:09/02/2023No Comments3 Mins Read

Statistically, Kevin Pietersen is the best English batsman ever, in all forms of international cricket. In the last decade or so, he has been one of the mainstays of English cricket. Pietersen has contributed massively towards the success of English, especially in Test cricket. After the forgettable Ashes tour of Australia, in which England were mercilessly whitewashed by the Aussies, Kevin Pietersen was dropped from the England team, and since then, he has been made to stay from England’s national team.

Now, when the all important Cricket World Cup 2015 is just around the corner, everyone is curious about Kevin Pietersen’s future and whether he England will pick him or not.

***

There’s no doubt that Kevin Pietersen is a terrific ODI batsman, and of the best England has ever produced. But, has he done enough in the last 12 months to be a part of England’s World Cup squad, is the biggest question.

To understand this situation better, let’s divide KP’s career into two phases:

Pre-retirement (from 2013 to 2013-14 Ashes series)
Post-retirement ( 2014 onward)

 

Pre-retirement

1) England in New Zealand Test Series, 2012/13: Kevin Pietersen scored only 85 runs in 2 matches at an average of 28.33

2) The Ashes (Australia in England), 2013: Kevin Pietersen scored 388 runs at an average of 38.80

3) The Ashes (England in Australia), 2013-14: Kevin Pietersen scored 294 runs at an average of 29.40

Now, if you compare these average with his career average of 47.28, it clearly shows that he has been struggling to score runs. Also, in this period, he has scored only Test match hundred.

Kevin Pietersen also played an ODI series against Australia in 2013, in which he scored 71 runs in 4 matches at an average of 17.75.

Post-retirement

Kevin Pietersen’s first tournament post The Ashes debacle was the seventh edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). In IPL7, Pietersen scored 294 runs in 11 matches at an average of 29.4, as compared to his previous year exploits ( 305 and 236 runs @ 61 and 59, in IPL 5 and IPL6 respectively).

Pietersen also played in T20 championships in England. Playing for Surrey, Pietersen scored only 204 runs in 9 innings.

[table]

//

[/table]

 

***
These numbers clearly show that Kevin Pietersen’s form hasn’t been anywhere close to his best in the last one and a half years. The preparations for the Cricket World Cup 2015 have reached the last stages and teams are working on finalizing their squads.

Although there’s a huge support for Kevin Pietersen and his fans want to him play in World Cup 2015, his numbers clearly suggest that he is not the right man for England at the moment. He hasn’t played any international for over 8 months and whatever domestic cricket he has played, he hasn’t scored runs.

In my opinion, England shouldn’t pick Kevin Pietersen for World Cup 2015.

***

by Kaushik Narayanan

image source: ESPNCRICINFO

Follow on Google News Follow on Flipboard
Previous ArticleCLT20 2014: Poor batting led to Lahore Lions’ downfall
Next Article CLT20 2014: Semi Final Preview
Unnati Madan
  • Website
  • Facebook
  • X (Twitter)
  • Instagram

Unnati is a passionate cricket writer with a deep love and understanding of the game. As a female cricket writer, she brings a unique perspective to the sport, having had to overcome various challenges to pursue her passion for cricket. She has an experience of more than 5 years in the field of cricket writing.

Related Posts

ENG vs IND 2025 Karun Nair vs Sai Sudarshan: Who Should Bat At Number Three?

21/07/2025

ENG vs IND 2025: 3 Big Reasons Why Anshul Kamboj Should Play Old Trafford Test

20/07/2025

IND vs ENG: Old Trafford Pitch Conditions And Historical Records For India

17/07/2025

IND vs ENG: ⁠India’s Probable Playing XI And Selection Dilemmas For The Fourth Test

17/07/2025

ENG vs IND: 2 Reasons Why Arshdeep Singh Should Play The Second Test

30/06/2025

IND vs ENG: 3 Indian Players Who Could Be Dropped If They Struggle in the England Series

29/06/2025
Add A Comment
Leave A Reply Cancel Reply

Important Pages
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Contact Us
  • About Us
  • Information About The Publication
Important Links
  • Rss Feed
  • Sitemap
  • Google News
Important Links
  • Rss Feed
  • Sitemap
  • Google News

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.