South African connection: Kevin Pietersen and Jonathan Trott added 52, South Africa v England, 2nd Twenty20, Centurion, November 15, 2009
Kevin Pietersen's aggressive intent at the top can offset Jonathan Trott's more obdurate methods at No. 3 © PA Photos
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"I love it when a plan comes together" was the favourite catchphrase of The A-Team's Hannibal Smith, and would invariably be uttered shortly after the fearsome foursome had battled their way out of yet another awkward situation, using a tank fashioned from a disused pram, a sheet of corrugated iron, a ream of knicker elastic and a box of matches.
England's World Cup campaigners would dearly love to find themselves uttering those same words in Mumbai in six weeks' time, but right at this moment in time, they look to be several spare parts short of a viable getaway plan.
Andy Flower, whose fingerprints are all over the Pietersen decision, is another who led from the front in that 1996 tournament, and though his returns for Zimbabwe were disappointing on that occasion, it did not detract from the logic of the tactic. In the absence of Morgan, KP has reverted to being England's most potent batting option, and when in Asia, your star player is best off leading from the front, when the ball is at its hardest and most likely to ping the fence with the Powerplay fields in place. Neil Smith, who tried and failed at No. 1 for England 15 years ago, was used in a similar vein, but without the small matter of seven ODI centuries and 3500 runs as proof of his credentials.
