Time to cut Pietersen some slack...

It’s taken five Tests, a great deal of soul searching, unceasing running repairs to increasingly damaged reputations and a dose or two of severe humiliation along the way but England have succeeded in winning a Test match in Asia for the first time this winter, seizing their final opportunity to do so in a performance reminiscent of the rise to the summit of world cricket that garnered such widespread acclaim.

Numerous reports and blogs have already surfaced covering the issue of whether England have actually learnt to play cricket in the sub-continent - the conclusion to which with the bat at least is still very much contentious – so I’ll steer clear of the particular debate and instead focus upon the indubitable protagonist of England’s eight wicket win in Colombo, a resplendent Kevin Pietersen.

Pietersen - Imperious in Colombo

Pietersen, lest we forget, arrived in Colombo having scored a paltry 100 runs at a rather unbecoming average of 12.50 across England’s overseas winter tours, and under more pressure than any of his colleagues with the sole exception of his captain Andrew Strauss, in the eyes of many observers. Such a suggestion may superficially appear a little perplexing, given that Pietersen had spent the best part of 2011 laying waste to the bowling attacks of Australia, Sri Lanka and India when amassing 821 runs at a shade over 82, but swift and unremitting criticism has proved a perpetual companion of the South African born batsman at the first hint of failure throughout his England tenure.

It is an unfortunate facet of Pietersen’s England career, the source of which is difficult to pinpoint. Pietersen possesses many a characteristic that is at odds to those associated with the quintessential English cricketer. Unequivocal self-belief, little fear of failure and a demeanour suggestive of being the very best at what he does are just some of those, and when coupled with a willow wielding style that is conspicuous by its absence from the MCC coaching manual it is plain to see why more than just a handful of English traditionalists have failed to acquire the Pietersen taste.  

Perhaps it is merely the South African name. We live in one of the most diverse multi-cultural societies in the world here in Great Britain, interacting with fellow human beings of differing race, religion and background on a daily basis, all of whom are widely embraced as British citizens. An acquiescent isle we may be, but that fails to avert the reservations of many over the number of players of South African origin bolstering the English ranks.

It is true that Pietersen is not alone within the current England setup. Andrew Strauss, Jonathan Trott and Matt Prior are all affiliated with other cricketing nations in conjunction with the three lions under whose banner they proudly ply their trade, yet scarcely a fraction of the vitriol aimed at Kevin Pietersen upon losing his wicket is afforded to those players. That suppresses the South African argument, then.

In reality, a combination of the above likely contributes to the amplified scrutiny Pietersen experiences at the first sight of a flaw. Some may indeed resent the South African association, whilst others undoubtedly dislike the outward displays of bravado. Hitched up sleeves presenting Pietersen’s powerful, tattooed limbs and a propensity for adding an element of extravagance to even the most rudimentary of strokes are all intended as a demonstration of purpose to a fielding side; this is Kevin Pietersen’s stage, not theirs. There will never be a "good morning, my name's Pietersen” in the manner of a gentlemanly Colin Cowdrey. It hasn’t always sat well with the older generation unused to such pageantry and bluster; plenty are quick to label Pietersen a ‘show pony’ only interested in limited overs cricket, yet it is widely acknowledged that nobody puts in more hours of practice.

Preceding his exhibition of imperious magnificence in Colombo an undercurrent that Pietersen was perhaps operating on borrowed time had existed. Having endured a miserable winter one wouldn’t have had to search too far afield to find an observer firm in this belief, despite the heroics of 2011. An impressive Test record boasting 6,654 runs at an average hovering a shade below the Holy Grail of 50 with 20 centuries – just three away from becoming the most of any Englishman – is seemingly superfluous to many Pietersen critics.

That very issue alone would suggest, at least, that the volatile reaction to Pietersen in almost any innings in which he fails to contribute may just be a direct consequence of his lavish talent. Few batsmen in world cricket are as naturally gifted, though many return similar statistics. Teammates Alastair Cook and Jonathan Trott provide two immediate examples, neither of whom can claim to possess comparable ability to Pietersen yet average very much the same per innings.

With Kevin Pietersen there remains an underlying feeling that there is so much more. Such a comment may appear outlandish given his excellent track record, but it serves to highlight the enormous talent that Pietersen possesses. On numerous occasions there has been a sense that Pietersen has ‘thrown his wicket away’, perhaps trying to dominate a particular bowler in yet another show of bravado and paying a heavy price. Without those Pietersen would arguably already be England’s leading Test century maker with an average comfortably north of 50.

There is little doubt that Pietersen is capable of becoming an all-time great of both English and world cricket, such is his extraordinary talent. To silence his staunchest critics, though, the soft dismissals would need to stop. But would it be the same Pietersen without the risk? Anything can happen at any moment in a Pietersen innings; suicidal run outs, bizarre dismissals and an outrageous array of strokes are always on the agenda, making Pietersen conceivably the most watchable batsman in world cricket.

The choice is Pietersen’s alone. Greatness is within his reach but cricket may become a duller place should he attempt to grasp it. For now though his place as England’s number four should not be doubted. Here we have one of the most successful and entertaining batsmen to don the three lions in many a year, an astonishing talent likely to have smashed all English Test batting records by the time the curtain falls on an illustrious career.  His tendency for combining the sublime with the ridiculous will likely continue to frustrate, but innings such as those in Colombo are a timely reminder that Pietersen remains a match winner for England, and a batsman that is deserving of considerably more slack than he is currently afforded.  

Kevin Pietersen is a genius. A flawed genius, yes, but a genius nonetheless that will continue to win Test matches for England. Enjoy him whilst he is here.

Have England learnt to play limited overs cricket?

England and ODI cricket are rather akin to politicians and honest expense claims; they rarely go together, are liable to embarrass and typically result in somebody getting the axe. Until now, that is.

From being perpetual whipping boys on the Indian sub-continent a mere three months ago, Captain Alastair Cook appears to have engineered a transformation that would earn a satisfied nod of approval from Optimus Prime himself.

Captain Cook - the right strategy

A cause for such a dramatic shift in the fortunes of this England ODI side is somewhat difficult to fathom; after all, it is almost the same set of players, and in similar conditions. Even more remarkable is the point that England entered the limited overs format on the back of a 3-0 hiding in the preceding Test series; an episode of cricket where each and every batsman appeared to be holding a HB pencil in place of a cricket bat, such was their ineptitude against the spin bowling of Pakistan.

Some will point to the fact that India are indeed world champions in the ODI format of the sport, in stark comparison to the middle of the road ranking currently held by Pakistan. Others will suggest that the absence of senior bowlers James Anderson and Stuart Broad throughout that forgettable tour drew England’s sting.

But what of strategy?

Much like Haile Gebrselassie deciding upon a whim to try and compete with Mr Bolt in the 100 metre sprint at the London Olympics, England have for years now attempted, rather fruitlessly, to adopt the philosophy of some of their adversaries when it comes to limited overs cricket. A new breed of big hitting opening batsmen, utilising brute strength to clear the in-field and indeed the boundary rope during the initial powerplay overs has seen the likes of West Indies’ Chris Gayle and Australia’s David Warner prove exceedingly destructive. Countless combinations of opening batsmen were tried and tested by England, ranging from the wild yahoos of Luke Wright to the current number six batsman Craig Kieswetter. None succeeded.

The whole tumultuous saga was akin to a twig being used as a battering ram: essentially made of the same stuff, but pathetically ineffective at emulating the real thing. Just as Gebrselassie is of insufficient build to harbour any hopes of competing in the 100 metre sprint, the same very much applies to England’s hopes of bootlegging a similar big hitting policy.

Indeed, it was perhaps for this reason that the appointment of Captain Cook was met with a fair degree of scepticism by the brainwashed cricketing public. After interminably being told that the key to success in an ODI was to get off to a flying start with big hitting batsmen leading the way, questions were inevitably asked as to why England’s selectors had appointed an opener with a distinct lack of flamboyancy as captain, thus making his inclusion inevitable.

How times change. Since that moment Cook has scored runs aplenty, with an overall strike rate not too far shy of a run a ball; and all with conventional cricket shots, too. No slogging from this opener, he is an Englishman, he will play cricket how Englishmen should play cricket, not in this uncouth anti-establishment manner being so distastefully demonstrated elsewhere on this planet. Huzzah!

In all seriousness, Captain Cook has indeed steered the good ship HMS England clear of the rocky waters of brute strength bay, guiding her in to the rather more serene harbour with a firm hand, and always leading from the prow. On the proviso of making a steady start to an innings, keeping wickets in hand and looking to gradually increase the run rate as the innings progresses, England have finally stumbled upon a strategy that they actually appear comfortable implementing.

It might be ‘old fashioned’ and somewhat less entertaining to the modern cricket fanatic, but sport is mostly about winning, right? By reverting to the more traditional method of setting about building an ODI innings, have England finally got their limited overs tactics right and resurrected what has historically been an abysmally inconsistent outfit to put them in with a chance of winning the next World Cup, or will they find themselves left behind by their rather more adventurous rivals? Or am I just being typically English and getting ludicrously carried away by one small dose of success?

A rare treat for English spectators!

English spectators were handed a treat about as rare as a steak tartare chilled by the trailing ice of Halley’s Comet out in Dubai today. Scratch that, two treats: a Kevin Pietersen One Day International century, his first since November of 2008, and an English run chase that allowed fingernails to remain fully intact.

Losing the toss for the first time in this four match series, England captain Alastair Cook saw his opposite number Misbah ul-Haq opt to bat first, leaving England with a potentially tricky run chase that evening under the ‘ring of fire’ of lights in the Dubai Sports City stadium.

Despite a flying start from Mohammad Hafeez and Imran Farhat, it was once again the 22 year old Steven Finn that proved the scourge of the Pakistani batting line-up, removing both openers in convincing fashion either side of Stuart Broad seeing Azhar Ali caught behind by Craig Kieswetter when playing a ghastly stroke away from his body as a mini collapse ensued. Misbah came and went, presenting Graeme Swann with a sharp catch at first slip off the bowling of Broad, before Asad Shafiq suffered a rather unfortunate run-out as his grounded bat rebounded off the surface following a desperate dive for safety right at the moment that Craig Kieswetter whipped off the bails. A cruel blow for Pakistan, and due to perhaps the harshest rule in the cricketing book.

At 97-5 Pakistan were teetering precariously on the brink of capitulation, but a measure of serenity was to be restored by the unlikeliest of candidates. Umar Akmal, a youngster of prodigious talent and perhaps too low in the order at number six, combined with the impulsive Shahid ‘Boom Boom’ Afridi to put on a measured 79 runs for Pakistan’s sixth wicket and leave them with a fighting chance of staying in the series. Afridi had his moments, as ever, hoisting an enormous six in to the stands off the bowling of Swann, but proceeded to construct a mature innings few observers perceived the modern Afridi capable of accomplishing.

With Pakistan having passed 175 with ten overs remaining in the innings, hopes were rekindling of posting a competitive total; the destructive Akmal and Afridi waiting to go ballistic at the death. England’s two senior pace men, Stuart Broad and James Anderson, soon returned to put paid to such optimisms however, removing the Pakistani duo within two overs of each other to reduce Pakistan to 180-7. A late cameo from the big hitting Umar Gul took Pakistan to 222 all out from 50 overs, a total looking significantly sub-par given the way the pitch had played throughout the innings.

KP - First ODI ton in 37 innings

In response, England’s opening pair arrived at the crease amidst vastly different circumstances. Talk of Alastair Cook becoming the first England batsman to hit three successive ODI centuries met the captain’s arrival, whilst rumour of his place in the England ODI setup being under threat greeted the entrance of former captain Kevin Pietersen. Such aspersions were soon cast aside, as something resembling the Pietersen of old utilised deft footwork combined with powerful strokeplay; the highlight being a monstrous straight six off the bowling of off-spinner Hafeez, deposited well beyond the sightscreen. Despite being dropped on 45 as Azhar spilled a hard, flat pull in the deep, the intent never wavered.

Captain Cook played a blinder of his own, cutting and pulling with emphatic majesty as he scored heavily square of the wicket. Hopes of making history with a third successive century were dashed when on 80, however, as Cook feathered the thinnest of edges through to Adnan Akmal off the bowling of Pakistan’s destroyer-in-chief Saeed Ajmal. The fall of the first wicket, with England handsomely set on 170-1, saw the promotion of the recently hapless Eoin Morgan to number three ahead of Jonathan Trott; a ploy no doubt for the unorthodox left hander to regain a modicum of confidence following a rotten run of form. Utterly bamboozled by the trickery of Ajmal at first, Morgan eventually found his feet, hitting straight boundaries that included a sumptuous maximum over long on off the bowling of his tormentor Ajmal.

The moment of the match, though, was reserved for Pietersen. Under pressure and without a ODI century in over three years, England’s ‘gun’ player looked back to his best as he moved effortlessly through the nervous 90’s before tucking an Aizaz Cheema delivery off his hips for the two runs that saw him reach three figures. Cue an extravagant fist pump and a flourish of the bat to all corners of the ground; the big man was back in business. Finishing the innings 111 not out with a powerfully driven boundary, thus giving England a nine wicket win and rare series victory in Asia, Pietersen silenced many a critic that felt his place in the England ODI setup to be undeserved.

Remarkably, with Pietersen opening the innings in ODI cricket, England have seen opening stands of 68, 91, 1, 57, 67 and 170. After umpteen opening partnership combinations in recent years, perhaps in the stoic Cook and the flamboyant Pietersen England have stumbled upon a pair in which success can be found.

A 3-0 Test series ‘greenwash’ hurt England, but some solace will doubtless have been found with this convincing series win, one that they will be looking to make a whitewash of their own when the sides meet again in the same stadium on Tuesday. That their batsmen appear to be learning how to play spin properly so late in this tour will come as little comfort for the Test series humbling, but it does make one wonder if the Test series result would have been the same had the ODI series been scheduled first. Either way, what odds would have been given for a Pakistan Test series clean sweep and an England limited overs brushing, I wonder?

MasterChef bucking the trend...

Admittedly, the finished product is more beans on toast, perhaps with a sprinkle of Lea & Perrins, than the comparative basque piparade likely to be served up by many of his opposite numbers, but this chef’s dish of choice requires only a small glug of water to help it down before you realise that it satisfies every bit as much.

In the age of the swashbuckling, gun slinging limited overs opening batsman, the appointment of Alastair Cook as England One Day International captain was met with a fair degree of scepticism by a number of fans, members of the media and former players alike. Not only was Cook too much of a plodder himself, at that time averaging a shade over 30 with a ponderous strike rate of 68, but the thought of a mid-powerplay partnership involving he and Jonathan Trott was considered to be akin to a sign of impending apocalypse; the type of dreary bore fest that may even see one Geoffrey Boycott calling for a switch hit.

Cook has adapted to the ODI game

With significant onus on ‘Chef’ to prove them wrong, the Essex opener has proceeded to do so in a manner that even the most ardent of Cook aficionados could never have envisaged.

Disparate to football, the garb of a cricket captain sees no embellishment of rank, yet the physical and mental changes wrought in Cook’s limited overs batting since presiding over the ODI captaincy have revealed abundantly more than a mere gesture of status ever could. Most importantly, his statistics whilst captain show a far more impressive average of 55.93, with an adventurous strike rate comfortably in excess of 90 runs per 100 balls. Secondly, Cook has shown that the crash bang wallop model of opening batsmanship, a prerequisite for Twenty20 cricket, is not necessarily applicable to the 50 over format. Knowing your strengths, subtly manoeuvring the field and playing risk free strokes can still lead to success, it would seem.

On his way to becoming the first England captain to score successive ODI centuries whilst plundering 102 runs against Pakistan in Abu Dhabi today, a fixture which England won by 20 runs to take an unassailable 2-0 series lead, Alastair Cook must surely now have silenced those rather more vocal doubters. Showing that there is still most definitely room for the more classical opener in ODI cricket, Captain Cook will have pleased a few purists along the way.

Thankfully for England, the side in world cricket most notorious for their failure to clear the ropes inside the first ten overs of an ODI powerplay, that old adage of building a platform before hitting out late on with wickets in hand can perhaps still prove to be a successful strategy, particularly with a batsman of Alastair Cook’s considerable class at the helm.