It's just not cricket

djewesbury · Post by **djewesbury** » 13:44 Mon 08 Dec 2014

Kevin Pietersen is still living in la-la land…

LGTrotter · Post by **LGTrotter** » 18:56 Mon 08 Dec 2014

djewesbury wrote:Kevin Pietersen is still living in la-la land…

This was almost exactly the quote from a cricket afficionado as I walked into the office today while he was perusing that very story. It feels so over for him, surely someone must have mentioned this?

djewesbury · Post by **djewesbury** » 19:04 Mon 08 Dec 2014

I think everyone has. He's not listening though. His cunning plan is to wait for everyone he's offended to die / leave / get sacked / retire - and then… KP to the rescue! Twit.

LGTrotter · Post by **LGTrotter** » 20:19 Mon 08 Dec 2014

djewesbury wrote:I think everyone has. He's not listening though. His cunning plan is to wait for everyone he's offended to die / leave / get sacked / retire - and then… KP to the rescue! Twit.

I think that the Notts team throwing his kit off the balcony might have been a message.

djewesbury · Post by **djewesbury** » 20:24 Mon 08 Dec 2014

LGTrotter wrote:
djewesbury wrote:I think everyone has. He's not listening though. His cunning plan is to wait for everyone he's offended to die / leave / get sacked / retire - and then… KP to the rescue! Twit.
I think that the Notts team throwing his kit off the balcony might have been a message.

Yes, that was back at the heady start of that brilliant English career. An example imitated in some form by just about every dressing room he's ever been in.

LGTrotter · Post by **LGTrotter** » 02:11 Sun 14 Dec 2014

Cook vows to stay on as 1 day captain.

Seems to me that he is always vowing something these days, about his batting, the captaincy, to stop his hair looking like it's made of Lego...

Starting to grate a little, went to the Ian Bell school of pluckiness in all probability.

Post by **DRT** » 02:26 Sun 14 Dec 2014

What amazes me about the England captaincy is that whoever the current incumbent is seems to have more control over his destiny than the selectors. Is it not possible to sack a captain for being completely and utterly rubbish at his job, despite his misguided opinion about his own ability?

LGTrotter · Post by **LGTrotter** » 02:36 Sun 14 Dec 2014

DRT wrote:What amazes me about the England captaincy is that whoever the current incumbent is seems to have more control over his destiny than the selectors. Is it not possible to sack a captain for being completely and utterly rubbish at his job, despite his misguided opinion about his own ability?

No idea. One of those mysteries of the age, bit like wondering why the Tories are able to rid themselves of irksome leaders but Labour never can. I still can't believe that the management didn't suggest and then insist that he take a bit of time out.

Post by **DRT** » 02:44 Sun 14 Dec 2014

LGTrotter wrote:
DRT wrote:What amazes me about the England captaincy is that whoever the current incumbent is seems to have more control over his destiny than the selectors. Is it not possible to sack a captain for being completely and utterly rubbish at his job, despite his misguided opinion about his own ability?
No idea. One of those mysteries of the age, bit like wondering why the Tories are able to rid themselves of irksome leaders but Labour never can. I still can't believe that the management didn't suggest and then insist that he take a bit of time out.

Don't despair, Owen. In a generation or two the Labour Party will, like the ECB and the Tories, be entirely populated by Eton-esque schoolboys and the playing field will be leveled once and for all.

djewesbury · Post by **djewesbury** » 10:13 Sun 14 Dec 2014

The BBC, quoting Peter Moores wrote:"Alastair has said clearly he is very keen to carry on, but also knows that that's not his decision," Moores said. […] "If you ask my opinion on Alastair, I would have Alastair as captain for the World Cup, but we will review at the end of the series, not just Alastair's captaincy, but the whole team, and pick our squad."

LGTrotter · Post by **LGTrotter** » 11:22 Sun 14 Dec 2014

djewesbury wrote:
The BBC, quoting Peter Moores wrote:"Alastair has said clearly he is very keen to carry on, but also knows that that's not his decision," Moores said. […] "If you ask my opinion on Alastair, I would have Alastair as captain for the World Cup, but we will review at the end of the series, not just Alastair's captaincy, but the whole team, and pick our squad."

I assume Daniel that you are too weak or something to add your own comment to this. I hope you recover sufficiently to feed yourself soon.

The implication being in the above comment that ECB, Moores, whoever can sack Cook if they want to. Which I have no doubt is true. It's just that, like the Labour Party, they never seem to.

djewesbury · Post by **djewesbury** » 11:23 Sun 14 Dec 2014

You don't sack the leader months before an election / World Cup.

djewesbury · Post by **djewesbury** » 11:24 Sun 14 Dec 2014

(You wait until you've lost it.)

djewesbury · Post by **djewesbury** » 11:28 Sun 14 Dec 2014

Getting back to KP for a moment, this cheered me up no end yesterday. It's a little like voting for Adolf as your 'man of 1944'.
"But don't you think he's gone a bit too far now?"
"Not at all, he's a real creative genius, really, his best years are all ahead of him."

LGTrotter · Post by **LGTrotter** » 11:49 Sun 14 Dec 2014

djewesbury wrote:You don't sack the leader months before an election / World Cup.

Quite true. What you do is look at the list of fixtures, realise it's too much and relieve him of the job at the end of the summer test series. And Ed? God knows.

LGTrotter · Post by **LGTrotter** » 12:21 Sun 14 Dec 2014

djewesbury wrote:Getting back to KP for a moment, this cheered me up no end yesterday. It's a little like voting for Adolf as your 'man of 1944'.
"But don't you think he's gone a bit too far now?"
"Not at all, he's a real creative genius, really, his best years are all ahead of him."

Blimey, as you say it is a rather idiosyncratic choice.

LGTrotter · Post by **LGTrotter** » 15:00 Sun 14 Dec 2014

Mind you, the author does have a point. There is something of the Greek tragedy about his career. And it did give me at least the sense of watching a car crash in slow motion. It is interesting to think that perhaps even the heroes of yore were petty squabbling narcissists. I always thought Achillies a bit ridiculous.

Post by **DRT** » 16:27 Sun 14 Dec 2014

I suspect that KP is one of those who has suffered greatly as a result of today's obsession with reporting every little piece of information about a public figures' lifestyle and character, thereby opening them to public scrutiny and opinion and putting the authorities and teammates in a position where they cannot be seen to put up with the idiosyncrasies that often come with sporting brilliance.

No doubt the past is littered with sporting heroes who were as badly behaved or worse than KP in the dressing room, we just didn't hear about it so no one had to deal with it.

Perhaps we should ban Twitter?

LGTrotter · Post by **LGTrotter** » 16:55 Sun 14 Dec 2014

Very true Derek; I think that WG Grace behaved in a less than very sportsmanlike way on numerous occasions, nobody threw him out of the team.

Hang on I'm starting to sound like an apologist for KP, forget what I just said. We live in the times we live in and there's no point in moaning about it (there goes the substance of just about every post I have ever put on this forum...).

Post by **DRT** » 17:33 Sun 14 Dec 2014

LGTrotter wrote:We live in the times we live in and there's no point in moaning about it

I think that is a good thing.

Whilst the nature and impact of their behaviours are not directly comparable to petulant sportsmen, the same openness and immediacy of information in our modern-day society is helping us root out and convict public figures in other sectors of society, and will hopefully prevent some of the odious practices of the past being continued or considered acceptable behind institutional closed doors. If sport suffers the loss of a few very talented idiots because of that change in the way our society works I am happy to pay the price in order to gain those other benefits.

Post by **DRT** » 12:40 Mon 15 Dec 2014

Someone here asked me to "register and apply for the ballot" this morning. I mistakenly joined the Twelfth Man club on the ECB website thinking that that was the place to register. During the registration process I had to tick a box to confirm that I "support England". I took one for the team.

Now I know how William Wallace felt when he was asked to swear allegiance to Edward Longshanks

djewesbury · Post by **djewesbury** » 13:00 Mon 15 Dec 2014

Welcome, Lord Derek.

djewesbury · Post by **djewesbury** » 17:08 Fri 19 Dec 2014

Cook dropped as ODI captain. Happy now Owen? Do we expect an Irishman to be able to do what no Englishman has been able to?

Post by **jdaw1** » 17:26 Fri 19 Dec 2014

djewesbury wrote:Do we expect an Irishman to be able to do what no Englishman has been able to?

What a splendid thread title, inviting replies both mischievous and erudite.

djewesbury · Post by **djewesbury** » 17:39 Fri 19 Dec 2014

jdaw1 wrote:
djewesbury wrote:Do we expect an Irishman to be able to do what no Englishman has been able to?
What a splendid thread title, inviting replies both mischievous and erudite.

Do you wish for me to create that thread, separately?

LGTrotter · Post by **LGTrotter** » 20:59 Fri 19 Dec 2014

djewesbury wrote:Cook dropped as ODI captain. Happy now Owen? Do we expect an Irishman to be able to do what no Englishman has been able to?

I was mainly glad that Cook has been dropped. Not that it will ever completely assuage my general resentment about the England cricket team. As to the bright future ushered in by Eoin I am at least relieved that Bopara was not offered it. I doubt Morgan will be a long term prospect, he seems a little erratic but does win brownie points from me for being Irish. I wonder if they are a bit doubtful about whether to have another England captain in the test team.

Somebody was mooting Bell as the opener, I suppose I might pick him for a few quick runs if Chris Tavare and Geoff Boycott are unavailable.

djewesbury · Post by **djewesbury** » 21:08 Fri 19 Dec 2014

LGTrotter wrote:I wonder if they are a bit doubtful about whether to have another England captain in the test team.

Quite. But then again, who could they really pick? And it's not as if there really is an England test team at present, is it.

The Ian Bell Fan Club wrote:Somebody was mooting Bell as the opener, I suppose I might pick him for a few quick runs if Chris Tavare and Geoff Boycott are unavailable.

Very droll. Glad you got that off your chest, it must be a great relief for you.

Post by **DRT** » 22:32 Fri 19 Dec 2014

I'm glad Cook has gone. He was rubbish.

There is something very English about sending the Irish in first.

LGTrotter · Post by **LGTrotter** » 22:43 Fri 19 Dec 2014

DRT wrote:
LGTrotter wrote:We live in the times we live in and there's no point in moaning about it
I think that is a good thing.

Whilst the nature and impact of their behaviours are not directly comparable to petulant sportsmen, the same openness and immediacy of information in our modern-day society is helping us root out and convict public figures in other sectors of society, and will hopefully prevent some of the odious practices of the past being continued or considered acceptable behind institutional closed doors. If sport suffers the loss of a few very talented idiots because of that change in the way our society works I am happy to pay the price in order to gain those other benefits.

I thought of this the other evening when I came across a story about Jim Laker, who remains the only player to take all 10 wickets in the innings of a test, he was driving home after the close of play and stopped for a pint and a sandwich, the pub was full of talk about Laker and his 19 wickets in the test and nobody knew he was sitting there having a pint.

Even though the world has changed (and I am with Derek that it is for the better) I do not begrudge Laker his quiet pint.

As you were, carry on.

djewesbury · Post by **djewesbury** » 22:44 Fri 19 Dec 2014

{sob}

Post by **DRT** » 10:22 Mon 22 Dec 2014

In a statement released today announcing his intention to seek to release yet another failed rights issue, Rangers FC Chairman David Somers wrote:"In these past 12 months, I have been surprised at a number of things. Firstly, the highly negative aspect of most of the media reporting regarding Rangers.

"Secondly, because it is clear to me that a stronger Rangers is good for Scottish football, I have been very disappointed to realise that outside of Ibrox, there sadly still exists a great deal of anti-Rangers feeling, perhaps (although I hope not) even in the football establishment."

It seems David has been taking advice from KP when it comes to not understanding why people can hate you

djewesbury · Post by **djewesbury** » 10:29 Mon 22 Dec 2014

Oh good, we can have a new Scottish football thread. But that needs to be somewhere less august than Meaningless Drivel. Perhaps we can have a new forum, something like Oh God I Can't Carry On.

djewesbury · Post by **djewesbury** » 10:38 Mon 22 Dec 2014

Personally I'm a Jags fan as that's the only Scottish team I've seen live. It was a brand of football so atrocious that, as a man who stuck with Palace throughout the very lean years, I felt right at home.

Post by **DRT** » 12:08 Mon 22 Dec 2014

djewesbury wrote:Oh good, we can have a new Scottish football thread.

Please God NO!!!!!

This was only posted so that I could have another dig at KP.

djewesbury · Post by **djewesbury** » 12:10 Mon 22 Dec 2014

I can think of only one thing worse than a football thread on TPF and that's a thread on Scottish football.
Maybe KP can join Rangers though. Like Botham playing in the lower leagues toward the end of his career.

Post by **DRT** » 11:17 Fri 23 Jan 2015

DRT wrote:I'm glad Cook has gone. He was rubbish.

Perhaps they should bring him back. Normal service appears to have resumed.

djewesbury · Post by **djewesbury** » 11:40 Fri 23 Jan 2015

I think the first four-fifths of that innings were great. And England's bowlers were pretty powerful in spells. The fact that Australia were better doesn't make England rubbish.

Post by **DRT** » 11:54 Fri 23 Jan 2015

I watched the last hour and it looked to me that England were bereft of ideas in how to cope with Smith and Hadden. There was some criticism from the commentators about England throwing it away by not ramming home their advantage in the final overs of their own innings but I didn't see that part of the game.

It was a good tense finish so I suppose that's a big improvement on everyone being on the bus home with 25 overs to spare.

djewesbury · Post by **djewesbury** » 11:56 Fri 23 Jan 2015

And we have won one in the tri-series so this isn't a totally bereft side. Smith was really excellent, but we did get Hadden out. Their team playing was better, only one person failed to score.

LGTrotter · Post by **LGTrotter** » 00:33 Sat 24 Jan 2015

Didn't Bell do well.

djewesbury · Post by **djewesbury** » 00:35 Sat 24 Jan 2015

Oh dust me off and let's get going.

djewesbury · Post by **djewesbury** » 13:38 Wed 28 Jan 2015

Is this a reason for a little shard of hope? Or am I just guilty of schadenfreude?

Out of 4 attempts to secure tickets for day 3 of the Ashes match at Lord's, only 1 came good. I am going to the match with my friend Richard, whose ballot was successful. Derek and I were each unsuccessful. My father forgot to fill his form in.

LGTrotter · Post by **LGTrotter** » 13:53 Wed 28 Jan 2015

I think that Mitchell Johnson's hamstring may be more critical to the sucess of England in the Ashes. Funny that Clarke seems to be having these difficulties, he was feted as the philosopher prince of Australian cricket and now is being reported as a pariah.

djewesbury · Post by **djewesbury** » 14:19 Wed 28 Jan 2015

Do you not remember the sneering directed at him when Ponting was captain? Yes, the backroom approved of those amazing scores. But they never liked him.

djewesbury · Post by **djewesbury** » 08:50 Fri 30 Jan 2015

Two port houses are batting for England at the moment. Can anyone remember when the last time this happened might have been, before Morgan and Taylor?

djewesbury · Post by **djewesbury** » 09:02 Fri 30 Jan 2015

Well that didn't last long.

djewesbury · Post by **djewesbury** » 09:25 Fri 30 Jan 2015

Well that didn't last long.

Post by **flash_uk** » 10:07 Fri 30 Jan 2015

Not sure that has ever happened before, assuming only surnames are allowed. There was Robert Croft some time back, but I don't think there was another port house at the crease with him ever.

djewesbury · Post by **djewesbury** » 10:08 Fri 30 Jan 2015

Crofty didn't necessarily last too long when he was at the crease either..!

Post by **flash_uk** » 10:09 Fri 30 Jan 2015

djewesbury wrote:Crofty didn't necessarily last too long when he was at the crease either..!

Indeed not!