The Binocular

So, Kevin Pietersen is out for the rest of the Ashes, and has opened a can of worms. His position 2 years ago was as close to untouchable as you get, but a series of events make his position far from concrete.

Let us start with his poor run of form, his average in the last 2 years is a distinctly English 45.78. Now this is far from shocking form, but at the age of 29 I expect far more from England’s no 4. Then his stint as England captain, a possible masterstroke that went wrong, showed that KP wasn’t always the answer.

So take in everything and think if his replacement performs, not well but, very well then what does that mean for KP. The immediate thoughts turn to Ravi Bopara and how he would immediately be out to make way for Pieterson. So should England be looking for a potential no 3 and not a no 4? Or does it go further than that, should they be looking for a number 5?

Let me explain, what do we look for in a number 3 batsman? The mental ability to play to the situation whether it is 3 for 1 or 200 for 1, the technical ability to deal with the new ball and to take advantage of tired bowlers and calm mindedness to deal with the huge pressure thrust upon this position.

Now I am not saying he is the best technician, but his powers of concentration and his mental steadiness puts Paul Collingwood ahead of most for that number 3 spot.

With this in mind, I still believe England will be looking for a straight replacement at number 4 for the remainder of the series, and if they are to do that then I believe that the main contenders, Key, Shah and Bell are all adequate but not the best choice by a long shot.

Now from a pure batting perspective the three best English batsmen in contention are Marcus Trescothick, Mark Ramprakash and a certain Jonathan Trott. I do believe that Marcus Trescothick is the best opener in England and merits a place in the team, but realistically? No chance. Cook and Strauss are set and won’t move down, and Trescothick can’t make the move to number 3 or 4.

Next we have Mark Ramprakash, who has been quite simply Bradman-esque and let me tell you that there is no higher praise. He is a natural number 3, and at 39 he is not a long-term threat to KP’s position.

So if you are trying to win the Ashes then look no further than Ramprakash, but if you want to give a chance to someone who may have a future for England I guess it makes less sense.

Why was he not in the team for the last 4 years? It seems ridiculous to me that the most talented English player is not playing for England. Nonetheless it seems unlikely that the selectors will be brave enough to go there.

This leads me on to Jonathan Trott, who is South African born (almost a pre-requisite for being an England cricketer these days). He is a player who has often been on the side with the Lions but as far as I am concerned he is exactly the player that England need.

Trott is far from the most talented player available, but he is different enough to cause problems. He will provide the most seamless change for KP and has the right mix of aggression and concentration, added to this his immense form, he can make a difference.

All said and done, we know Ian Bell will be selected and we’ll not find out a whole lot.