Pietersen "no way near tests yet"....

[Zainub]

says who you might ask? Well, says the man him self

Originally Posted by Bam Bam, him self, in an interview in The Wisden Cricketer

I'm nowhere near Tests yet, I've only played a few ODIs (read more on that here)

And if he him self doesn't think he's ready for test cricket now (and that after he's averaged 139.50 with the bat from the 11 one-dayers he has played since his debut against Zimbabwe in Harare last November) then I don't think there is much left to say after that after that, or is there?

[Nick]

Apparently 83% of 1000 people surveyed for Wisden Cricketer magazine don't agree with him, and said he should be in the Test side. I think I agree with them and not him.

[Rachael]

Originally Posted by Nick

Apparently 83% of 1000 people surveyed for Wisden Cricketer magazine don't agree with him

Consider two contrasting routes into the national team. First the burden who had to be carried:

1998 (age: 20y 26d)    2    3   0    17  17    0    0    5.66   0   0   2
1999 (21y 26d)         3    5   0   133  42   38   36   26.60   0   0   0
2000 (22y 26d)         4    6   0    83  22   16   16   13.83   0   0   0
2001 (23y 26d)         3    5   0    26  18    4    4    5.20   0   0   2
2002 (24y 26d)         9   14   0   384 137   75   59   27.42   1   2   4

Consider another guy, tried recently as a "saviour", who wasn't ready:

season 2003            3    5   0    87  64   16    7   17.40   0   1   2

Now the guy who was held back and hit the ground running because he was ready:

2004 (age: 26y 305d)   9   18   2   971 137  136  126   60.68   4   4   1
2005 (27y 305d)        3    6   0   275 147   45   44   45.83   1   0   2

I admit that anecdotal evidence can prove just about anything... but the dangers of starting a player before they are ready are evident enough: they can flounder, drag the team down and end up screwed up and no use to anyone. How much more so when the first series might be the toughest home challenge in world cricket?

Surely the principle concern with respect to KP is what's best both for him and for England's medium and long term prospects: from that point of view ANY series OTHER than the Ashes would be a better one to start him in!

[Ernest]

There is no evedence at all to say that KP is ready to play Test Cricket, he himself should know how he feels, not the 83% who would love to see him slog 6s of Warne and McGrath in the Ashes series.
Could happen I suppose, but the ods are he may come of once, it could all end up a nightmare for him, and spoil an exciting prospect for the future.

Anderson was forced in out of the cold, despite some early success, he is at the moment a shattered player.

When KP is honest enough to say he is not ready to play at Test level, we should listen, and so should the selectors, he may well then be a weapon for England in 2007.

[Milo]

Maybe he's just being coy. Of course the guy is ready for tests. He's probably trying to lessen the pressure that has clearly built up on him after his performance in South Africa. Does any actually believe him when he says this???? I don't.

[Nick]

Freddie, Ed Smith, and Andy Strauss presumably. I take your points although KP is nearly 25, and I would advocate playing him in the Tests against Bangladesh. Not the greatest challenge I know, but still test cricket, and definitely better than blooding him in the Ashes.

The thing that strikes me about KP is that he has instantly produced at 2 representative levels for England. Lots of tons on the A team tour to India a year ago, and the instant impact at one-day level in Zimbabwe and South Africa. Who is to say he won't have the same impact at Test level.

[Ernest]

Maybe he was being coy, I don't know, but saying that will register with some selectors.
I would to think he is ready, I would not hesitate to put him in the team with any other side bar Australia.

I am not hard and fast on this, he could well come off, could even help win us the Ashes, if he failed big time though, it could set him back back years.

[Rachael]

Originally Posted by Nick

Freddie, Ed Smith, and Andy Strauss presumably.

Yup. Like I say: anecdotal evidence that means little.. but it took Freddie 4-5 years to sort out the technical weakness that meant he was rarely geting either forwards properly OR back properly.. and for all his bluster about playing differently in the longer form of the game... some pretty major Test cricketers have suggested KP might have his own work cut out to start playing straight enough to flourish in Test cricket.

Think Key and Crawley: both leg-side specialists who struggled at the higher level. I don't suppose they have ben the only ones either.

I'm not going to suggest KP will not make it as I think he's a actually a far more accomplished batsman than Crawley, Key or Freddie.. but I'd prefer to see him play a summer of ODI and then come into the Test side over the winter.

[Paoli]

Good on Pietersen, I respect and admire him.

Him coming out saying that is to get the pressure off his back when he has demonstrated he is ready and IMHO will be prominent in the Ashes.

[Notts Exile]

Originally Posted by Rachael

Think Key and Crawley: both leg-side specialists who struggled at the higher level. I don't suppose they have ben the only ones either.

Anyone who's watched KP in first class cricket will know he's far less of a leg-side player than either of those two.

Viv did OK though!