Pietersen and Swann miss Tigers ODIs
ENGLAND selectors insist they planned to rest out-of-sorts batsman Kevin Pietersen for the forthcoming one-day series against Bangladesh even before he was struck by injury.
Three meetings with one of the game’s lesser lights – the first of which takes place on Thursday at Trent Bridge – would have provided Pietersen with the perfect chance to plunder some confidence-boosting runs.
But national chiefs remain unconcerned by the former captain’s wait for an ODI 50, which stretches back to 2008, and his average of barely 18 in 11 contests since returning from Achilles surgery last year.
“We would have rested him,” said selector Geoff Miller.
“We know what his qualities are. Everybody is concerned when a batter is not getting runs, similarly when a bowler is not getting wickets or not bowling well.
“But we know very well he is very capable of getting big runs, and they will be just round the corner.”
Pietersen suffered a thigh injury fielding in Saturday’s ODI defeat to Australia – the final match of a 3-2 series win – but had to bat with a runner and was out for a duck.
He has been replaced in the squad to face the Tigers by Warwickshire’s Jonathan Trott, while Graeme Swann is being rested, allowing Kent off-spinner James Tredwell a chance to impress.
England squad: A Strauss (c), C Kieswetter (wkt), P Collingwood, E Morgan, I Bell, J Trott, L Wright, T Bresnan, M Yardy, S Broad, A Shahzad, J Anderson, J Tredwell