To KP or not KP?

England's cricketers enter a must-win game in disarray. They know that only victory will prevent South Africa from leapfrogging them to the top of the world Test rankings. However, that has been overshadowed by the shock omission of the home team's only player of undeniable star quality, Kevin Pietersen.

The Surrey batsman was dropped after failing to comply with a request from his employer, the England and Wales Cricket Board, to confirm or deny that text messages he sent to members of the South African team contained derogatory comments about his captain, Andrew Strauss, and head coach, Andy Flower. Pietersen was unable, or unwilling, to provide an answer in the time allotted, and so was jettisoned.

KP has been at the center of controversy all season and his comments at a news conference after the second Test won't have smoothed troubled waters. "It's not easy being me in this England dressing room," he told the assembled media, while hinting that the Lord's Test might be his last five-day game for his adopted country.