Kevin Pietersen’s exclusion from England squad will not make a difference

A lot has been spoken about Kevin Pietersen’s England career being brought to premature end. Pietersen recently scored his maiden First-Class triple ton, which reignited hopes of an international comeback, but alas, seems like it will not happen. Pramod Ananth opines Pietersen’s exclusion will not make much of a difference for England.

Kevin Pietersen last played for England in the 0-5 drubbing by Australia in The Ashes 2013-14. He managed just two half-centuries in his 10 innings coming in at the all important No. 4 position. Currently that position is being occupied by another veteran batsman, Ian Bell. Since Pietersen’s absence, Bell has done reasonably well and the 33-year-old has, at least, statistically been a better batsman. READ: England cricket must be profoundly ashamed for its treatment of once-in-a-generation cricketer like Kevin Pietersen

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Bell, in Tests, after Pietersen’s departure (10 Tests) has averaged 36.81, which include two centuries. Pietersen in his last 10 Test matches (all against Australia) averaged 34.1, with just one ton to his name. The first Test series was against Sri Lanka at home, which was a two-match affair. After a nail-biting draw in the first Test at Lord’s, England lost the second Test by 100 runs, thanks to Angelo Mathews’ heroics. But, Bell managed to score a couple of half-centuries in four innings; still a big score eluded him. READ: England, Kevin Pietersen and the farce in name of cricket management

Ian Bell since Kevin Pietersen’s axe in Tests:

That too came when he slammed a magnificent 167 against India in the third Test at Southampton. He did not have particularly good games in the first two Tests in the series, but with England 1-0 down in the series, Bell’s innings was timely and that gave them the momentum not only to win the match but bounce back to take the series 3-1, with the right-hander finishing with an average of 42.42, with a century and a half-century.

Kevin Pietersen’s last 10 Tests:

Bell, however, failed to carry on the momentum after getting a century in the first Test, during England’s tour of West Indies. He slammed a fluent 143 at Antigua. He managed only 12 runs from the remaining four innings, including golden duck. The series finished 1-1, much to the disappointment of England.

For players from both England and Australia, being given an opportunity in the Ashes is a massive achievement. Pietersen is no different. He gave up playing in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2015 and decided to play in County Championship to boost his chances of international comeback.

England take on New Zealand at home in a few days time and it’s clear now that Pietersen will not feature in Andrew Strauss’ scheme of things.

Pietersen’s return to form at the First-Class level does not guarantee them success at the international level. England are currently going through a transformational stage and the appointment of Joe Root as vice-captain comes in at just the right time. Players like him, Gary Ballance and Jos Buttler have a long career and hopefully  bright future ahead of them. There have been cries from the cricket fraternity to promote Root to the No. 4 position, which again might be a good idea. The likes of Sam Robson and Nick Compton too are knocking on the doors for selection with some clinical performances in the domestic season. READ: Kevin Pietersen vs ECB: Fraternity censures England cricket management on Twitter

England fans and selectors sill have to be patient and cannot expect results immediately during this period. They have to back the young talent and not get impatient with failures. Pietersen’s return possibly would have only blocked the place of another youngster.

Nevertheless, one cannot help but admire Pietersen’s efforts to make a comeback. His love for the game has not subdued even being treated shambolically. .

Perhaps it is time for England cricket and Pietersen to move on. Pietersen will still continue to excel in T20 tournaments around the globe, but looks like his international career is all but over.

(Pramod Ananth is a reporter at CricketCountry. He has represented Karnataka table tennis under-15, and is a hardcore supporter of Liverpool FC. His Twitter handle is @pramz)