Kevin Pietersen fails to find place in squad for India tour

By Meg Anderson

 

LONDON, England (TheSportsNext) September 18, 2012: The controversial England cricketer Kevin Pietersen and Ravi Bopara failed to find a place in the squad which is due to tour India following the ICC World Twenty20 2012 cricket tournament.

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) announced Tuesday the Test squad for the tour of India which will start from November 15 with Ahmedabad Test.

It is important to mention here that negotiations between Kevin Pietersen and ECB are still going on but the cricket board has made its point very clear by omitting KP from the list of players enjoying central contract, but did leave a door opened ajar for the controversial cricketers who is facing an indifferent future with the England cricket team.

While Kevin Pietersen and Ravi Bopara failed to win confidence of English selectors, Joe Root, Nick Compton, Eoin Morgan, and Monty Panesar have stormed their way into the Test side.

In absence of Kevin Pietersen and retiring skipper Andrew Strauss, England batting line-up lacks the experience required to face Indian spinners on the world’s most topsy-turvy tracks but England and Wales Cricket Board looks in no mood of compromising on principles.

Interestingly, Kevin Pietersen is working as TV cricket expert with a broadcaster during the ICC World Twenty20 2012 which is swinging into action from Tuesday (today).

Managing Director of ECB, Hugh Morris said in a statement, "Both ECB and England team management have had meetings with Kevin Pietersen to address the issues that led to his omission from the final Investec Test match against South Africa. These discussions remain private and confidential and, as there are issues still to be resolved, Kevin has not been considered for selection for the India tour."

Talking about the newly-inducted young guns, Nick Compton and Joe Root, the national selector Geoff Miller stated, "Nick Compton has performed well consistently for Somerset in county cricket this season, made big hundreds and shown that he has the temperament and the technique to play at a higher level. Joe Root is a player who has been successful at every level from county cricket through to EPP and England Lions, and he deserves this opportunity to step up to the next level and press his case for a place in the Test side."

England Test squad for the India Tour includes Alastair Cook (captain) James Anderson, Jonny Bairstow, Ian Bell, Tim Bresnan, Stuart Broad, Nick Compton, Steven Finn, Graham Onions, Eoin Morgan, Monty Panesar, Samit Patel, Matt Prior, Joe Root, Graeme Swann, and Jonathan Trott.