Cricket thread [4]

Pietersen shouldn't be dropped, scored a lot of runs in the summer, it's just the fashionable thing to dislike him it seems.

Morgan needs to go, not cut out for test match cricket. Bopara has had enough chances so give Morgan this last test (he'll no doubt score 100 to save his place) and then bring in James Taylor for the Sri Lanka tour.

The main worry is the lack of runs from Strauss, no century since Brisbane last year.

Averages since Jan 1st 2011...

IJL Trott 38.92
KP Pietersen 53.42

DROP PIETERSEN

India away before Christmas and then New Zealand away in March. Then next summer is New Zealand and Australia at home.

Personally I think Strauss is coming to the end now, not a knee jerk reaction to this series loss, he's been an excellent captain for England but he's not scoring any runs and hasn't really scored any in a couple of years now. You can get away with that when you're winning but not anymore.

Australia's bowling is fine, they just need to sort out their batting and try and get a settled side.

I don't understand them batting Wade at 6 and then having someone like Henriques or Maxwell at 7, it's like England with Samit Patel in the test side, they're just bits and bobs cricketers. Steve Smith looked like he's improved a lot from what we saw of him in India and could be a good addition to the middle order.