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Alec Swann: Pietersen the playground choice



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Published Date: 08 August 2008
When I used to play sport as a kid, whatever sport it was, the captain of the team was inevitably the best player.
Why this was I don't know, but it was nearly always the case.

Every now and then you find that this trend seeps into adult sport and the appointment of Kevin Pietersen as England captain is a perfect example.

This is not to criticise Pieterse
n's rise to the top job - the more you think about it the more it seems to make sense.

It is a gamble however, as cricket is littered with players whose form has deteriorated badly when they have been given the responsibility of captaincy.

And the last thing England need is for Pietersen's runs to dry up. Michael Vaughan's did and he paid the price. Paul Collingwood's did and so did he.

The hardest part of being in charge is realising that you are still a player in the team and that your individual performance is important.

If Pietersen can treat himself as just a batsman when he is at the crease then, given that he hardly suffers from a lack of self belief, he should do all right.

If he starts to worry about the many other things that could distract him then he could be in trouble.

Vaughan, until the last year or so, did an excellent job at the helm.

If England want to get back to near the top of the world rankings again, then Pietersen needs to do just as well, if not better.



The full article contains 262 words and appears in n/a newspaper.
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  • Last Updated: 08 August 2008 10:39 AM
  • Source: n/a
  • Location: Northampton
 
 

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