Pietersen resigns as England Captain.

Yes indeed: the ECB are still in Victorian mode, where there were Gentlemen (well-off like the administrators) and Players (inferior specimens who actually needed to earn money and should know their place).

Staggeringly ironic. :rolleyes:
Admistrators run the show and take the credit. Players can shut their mouths. Who do the jumped-up little oiks think they are? Just becasue they can play well, they should have some say? :smack:

That’s a bit harsh. Are you referring to our selectors valiant attempts to manufacture a spinner that have revolved around Nathan Hauritz (first class bowling average 48.0 taking less than 2 wickets per match getting one every 16 overs or so) and Jason Krejza (first class bowling average 48.5 taking 2 wickets per match getting one every 12 overs or so). Bring back Greg Matthews the best spinner in Sydney grade cricket last year.

Or maybe picking a number 6 with 2 centuries in 7 years of first class cricket.

Or them playing Hayden in a dead Test (turned out to be a beauty though) when it was a perfect opportunity to try out Phillip Hughes before they pick the team for SA.

Or one of the others?

I was indeed referring to the spin selection policy, although to be fair I’m not sure how the selectors are supposed to deal with what appears to be an almost complete lack of available talent (although I hear Bryce McGain is decent :)); they can only work with what they’ve got. But yes, any of those other hilarities are great examples, too.

Anyway, at least your bunch aren’t trying to get rid of one of the best talents you’ve had in years because they’d rather have players know their place than actually try to win things. The Aussies are trying (admittedly poorly) to deal with the very real problem that they’ve lost several all-time greats in the space of a couple of seasons, exposing some creaky captaincy and putting pressure on batsmen who previously knew almost any total was defendable. We, on the other hand, are manufacturing problems out of whole cloth. I genuinely can’t quite believe how accurately the ECB has shot English cricket in the foot over this.

Incidentally, if your selectors could possibly see their way clear to keeping Hayden in for the Ashes, we’d all be very very grateful.

Last time he was dropped was from the ODI team he came back and became the number 1 bastmen in the world.

And you guys complain about losing. Pakistan can’t even play a game.

Well, sure, but now he’s 37 and looks utterly past it. Unlike spin bowling, Australia are hardly short of talent in the batting department, and Hayden has arguably been given more time than any other player has been afforded in recent years (remember Gillespie’s unceremonious removal? Although of course it’s a different rule for bowlers).

You couldn’t have argued with his selection for the dead rubber Test if he had faced the inevitable and announced his retirement beforehand. He deserved a home send-off (and god, it pains me to type that), but he didn’t take the hint. Still, his current blatherings about voices in his head and getting on and off horses are absolute gold; like I say, long may it continue. The last thing England want turning up in the summer is the next Michael Hussey (let alone David Hussey).

They are pretty thin on good openers. He knows that, the selectors know that. For every five talented First class player, you get only one who can cut it long term in tests. And nobody seems ready to do so in Aus.