Kevin Pieterson's form vital for England's Ashes aspirations
Ashes series is just around the corner and everyone is expecting a tough contest. England isn't the same team as it used to be. We now see a much more consistent squad. They have certainly produced some strong performances in last two years and are a much
improved side.
A highlight of their performances of late has been their persistent success rate which was missing in the previous English teams. They have shown good results in all formats of the game, be it Test, ODI or T20. After winning the Ashes last year, they have
taken a number of series under their belt.
Over the years, numerous classy players have found permanent place in English squad such as Stuart Broad, Morgan and Graeme Swann. These players have become vital match winners for the side. Gone are the days when England team would collapse under pressure
as under the coaching of Andy Flower, they have virtually blossomed and groomed into a professional and much more focused outfit. Their consistency was always in question but over the years, they have worked on it in an impressive manner and have overcome
this hurdle.
When speaking of England team, it would be unfair not to mention one of its biggest stars. The star that has won them many matches and showed again and again why is he called a match winner? Kevin Pieterson is a threat to any opposition in any form of the
game. He can really put the opposition's attack to the sword with his powerful and elegant batting. But of late, his batting has not been up to the mark. His current poor form is a big question mark for the English side.
For a middle order player like him, it is necessary to be in top-form and build some solid innings. His form during summer against Pakistan was a big question mark that has made many wonder whether he will be able to perform in the upcoming Ashes series.
Pieterson averaged 27.25 in four innings against http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Pakistan-c755 this summer and he hasn't scored a century in last 19 months.
He had some serious issue in building big innings apart from a gutsy 80 in the first innings of second Test match at Edgbaston. He was also not that comfortable in moving his feet forward and backward and was caught behind on number of occasions during his
innings. All this resulted in him being dropped by the selectors for the ODI series against Pakistan.
Putting all the question marks aside, Pieterson still is a big match player and has a god gifted ability to turn the game on his team’s side. England need an in-form Pieterson to strengthen their middle order and to post decent totals at Ashes. Australia,
like always, have started their war of words before the series in which they are highlighting different English players and their current forms.
Obviously, it was just a matter of time before they would have also placed Pieterson under the microscope. Ricky Ponting, in his comments, said, “Kevin Pieterson, obviously is a big question mark for them at the moment.” He was also quite critical of the
forms of Alistair Cook and Paul Collingwood.
Now, the question arises as to whether Pieterson would be able to deliver his best that we all know about him as Australia have this vicious ability of exploiting the weak links of the opposition players. Pieterson's current poor form would not have come
at a more wrong time for England. He is in tremendous pressure from many quarters to prove his form and when opposition like http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Australia-c746 questions your place in the national team, it adds more pressure on the individual.
This is the psychological impact Ashes creates in the minds of players from both sides and it will get even worse as we come close towards the first Test. For now, Kevin Pieterson is one of the main victims of this psychological warfare and the main reason
is that he is one of England's best batsmen. He has to show the kind of mental toughness that should be there in an international player while playing such an important series.
John http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Buchanan-c48808, the former Australian coach who is currently on a consulting role for England Cricket Board fears that Pieterson could be a major problem for England. He said that he hasn't understood his role in the team. The England Captain, Andrew Strauss
didn't agree with Buchanan and stated that Pieterson was a quality player and such big series tend to bring the best out of him as all it takes is just one innings to get yourself back in form.
Even some Aussie players like Michael Clarke also feel that Pieterson's current form doesn’t necessarily suggest that he would not be able to deliver in the Ashes. http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Clarke-c51120 argued, “He is a big player, he is a match winner and he is one of those guys if you
are England, you’ve got to have him in your team.” This actually highlights the importance of Pieterson within English ranks, if he clicks then England would have a great advantage over Australia.
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