Talk of KP’s return mirrors England’s shambolic World Cup

England’s chances of landing a first cricket World Cup crown look about as far away as Pluto after four games and adding to the general sense of calamity, talk of Kevin Pietersen’s potential return has reared its head.

While there is next to no chance of Pietersen turning up on a white horse at the tournament, incoming ECB chairman Colin Graves stoked the fires at an unusual time with words which left the door ajar at for Pietersen to be selected at a future date.

Although there were stipulations regarding the need for the controversial batsman to be making runs and playing “consistently high-quality county cricket” frontline bowler Stuart Broad was not amused when reacting to the comments Down Under.

“The timing is not ideal for us,” said Broad, ahead of a win-at-all-costs game against Bangladesh on Monday.

“We all need to be focused on how we are going to win on Monday. We don’t want external influences breaking into our group.”

Having drifted to 28/1 to win a World Cup in which they’ve failed three of four examinations against established nations and only beaten Scotland, Broad has a clear point.

Something else which is far from ideal from an England perspective is the paceman’s dearth of wickets.

Since accounting for two of Australia’s first three men at the crease in their opening fixture of the competition, Broad has toiled badly with the ball in his hand, failing to pick up a single wicket.

Subsequently the Nottinghamshire seamer’s odds to be England’s top tournament wicket taker at the World Cup have ballooned to 10/1 – where Steven Finn’s eight thus far see him as the firm 4/7 market leader.

All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.

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