England could labour without KP

Had anyone suggested, a few months ago, that the outcome of England’s
World T20 campaign could hinge on the performance of a member of
Liberty X, they might well have been dismissed as insane.

But that’s the way it is. For, after underlining his importance to the
England team with a match-winning performance against Pakistan, Kevin
Pietersen reiterated his determination to be with his pop-singer wife,
Jessica, at the birth of their first child. As that baby is due any
day now, the timing could be mightily inconvenient to England.
Though KP dismissed the idea that he would walk off the pitch if he
were batting, he did admit he would leave midway though a game if he
receives news of his wife going into labour. In the worst case
scenario, that could leave England without their best batsman and down
to just 10 fielders. Allowing a substitute would be up to the
discretion of the opposition captain.
If there were any doubts as to Pietersen’s worth – and there really
shouldn’t have been – they were dispelled with a performance of calm,
power and class that proved to be the difference between these two
sides. Pietersen (52 balls, eight fours and two sixes) made light of
Pakistan’s total and eased England to their first victory in this
tournament with three balls to spare.

As Pakistan’s coach, Waqar Younis said afterwards: “He batted like a champion and took the game away from us.”
In truth, Pakistan are flattered by the fact that this game went into
the last over. From the moment that the impressive Michael Lumb (13
balls, three fours and a six) and Craig Kieswetter (27 balls, three
fours and a six) posted 44 for the first wicket, England were always
ahead of the game.

Though Pakistan started well – Kamran Akmal hooking Sidebottom’s first
ball for six – a nine ball period midway through their innings cost
them dear. First Salman Butt’s pleasing cameo was ended when he failed
to keep a drive down and gave a catch to cover, before the excellent
Michael Yardy fooled Mohammad Hafeez with a much quicker ball. Worse
was to follow from the next ball as Shahid Afridi pushed off for an
ambitious single only to be sent back by Umar Akmal. Though Afridi was
stranded in mid-pitch, his failure to even attempt to regain his
ground did seem oddly ambivalent.

Stuart Broad, bowling with good pace, was the pick of the seamers, but
it was Yardy who really shone. Though he varies his pace cleverly,
Yardy stock delivery is fired in at the batsmen and, with another
frugal spell (two for 19 from his four overs) he again justified the
selectors’ faith in him.
This was a far from perfect performance from England, however. By
conceding seven wides and two no-balls, they gifted Pakistan a
lifeline that other, more proficient sides, will not squander.

“We can improve on that performance,” Paul Collingwood admitted. “Certain areas weren’t very good. We were sloppy at the end of their innings.”
The insistence on picking Sidebottom ahead of Anderson is also looking
increasingly mistaken. Sidebottom’s lack of pace and his seeming
inability to deliver a yorker on demand have rendered him too easy to
hit. He’s also a vastly inferior fielder to Anderson. Tim Bresnan, who
conceded 15 from the final five balls of the innings, will also enjoy
better days.

They will surely face tougher opposition, too. Some of Pakistan’s
fielding was little short of comical and they squandered six chances
in all. Kamran Akmal’s failure to miss the bails was one highlight,
though Saeed Ajmal deserves a special mention for managing to drop
three catches.

So there’s room for improvement. But England have beaten the current
T20 world champions and, if they beat South Africa on Saturday,
they’ll be all but assured of a place in the semi-finals.

But if they do reach that stage, goodness me, they’ll want Pietersen
to be in their team.