KP to get a ton at the Oval?

To be honest, I wasn't overjoyed at the appointment of Kevin Pietersen as England captain. Whereas Vaughan brought echoes of Hutton and Brearley, this selection brought echoes of Botham and Flintoff - captains whose natural flair and instinct were shackled by the chains of captaincy.

Following in the footsteps of Michael Vaughan will never be easy, so Pietersen's ego will stand him in good stead when it comes to making comparisons. Vaughan was England's most successful ever captain, and one of our most inventive. Having won the Ashes for the first time since the 80's, Vaughan will forever be remembered for his exploits against the Australians - which are the only ones that mattered. His downfall came due to a lack of resources and some peculiar selection issues - not necessarily his lack of form with the bat.

England captains rarely follow the Indian model of promote and demote - once a captain resigns, he retires and is never seen again. We can only hope that Vaughan returns to the England side after a stint with Yorkshire, and finds the form that made him one of the world's most entertaining batsmen.

Pietersen will soon find out the pressures of the job. Many have said that Andrew Strauss was the natural successor, but the truth is that Pietersen was the first name on the team sheet every time - Strauss's position is under threat due to a lack of runs. However, I believe that Strauss took to captaincy like a duck to water - and the responsibility helped his batting, as his averages attest. Pietersen's natural instinct to attack will be put to the test - after all, a captain leads by example!

So, if you fancy Pietersen to hit a century in his first test as captain - get these odds: 5/2 with Coral - and have £10 free bet, no questions asked.

published: 6th August 2008 by Free Bet Bookmaker

Comments

Something to say about this article? Post your comments below!