Ever one for the dramatic gesture, Keven Pietersen has stunned cricket fans around the world by retiring from International One Day cricket. He will continue to be available for Test Cricket (phew) and will play IPL.
What's absolutely screamingly transparent is that this has got nothing to do with retiring from International one dayers per se and everything to do with a break down in negotiations with the ECB. Reading between the lines he no longer wanted to play 50 over cricket but would have happily played International T20s but the ECB took a stand and said he couldn't give up just one form of the game.
So probably England's finest, most innovative, fastest scoring bats in the short forms (only Eoin Morgan can hold a candle) is now lost to us. Will he play left handed in Tests? Use the scoop? Reverse slog? Probably. But we wont get to see the same level of innovation in his cricket in England colours.
You have to sympathise with both sides don't you? The ECB can't move to a model where they have separate teams under contract for each form of the game can they? The cost and bureaucracy would be ludicrous. And making exceptions to the rules... that's enough to make even the most enlightened administrator shudder. And at the same time who gives a monkeys about 50% of ODIs around the world? If you are playing in dead rubbers (the Aussies gave up playing those in Australia a long time ago) it must be absolutely soul destroying. Every chance of getting dropped from the side for a run of poor form, no chance of winning a trophy? Wickman says pah! Which is probably what KP was thinking to having to play in 20 or so of them a year.
Wickman is fervently hoping something can be done. T20s without KP will not be the same...
Hampton Wick Royal Cricket Club * 1863 - 2013 * 150 Glorious Seasons
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