Exclusive by Glenn Pearson
Kent skipper Rob Key has told punters not to bother putting a bet on him succeeding Kevin Pietersen as England captain.
Key has once again been linked with the job if, as is reported, Pietersen stands down as captain following the row over his relationship with coach Peter Moores.
Bookies have made the Kent captain 25/1 to take over but although Key would jump at the chance to skipper his country, the 29-year-old isn’t expecting a call from the England and Wales Cricket Board.
He told Kent News: “I would definitely take it of course, I would never turn something like that down. I don’t think I would get it so I wouldn’t be putting any money on me.”
Key wasn’t overly surprised at the news that has rocked English cricket today (Wednesday) as he knows only too well that a coach and captain have to see eye to eye.
He said: “The coach and the captain have to back each other up and I felt yesterday (Tuesday) that Pietersen could also be struggling to keep his job. It’s okay if the coach would be saying something positive to a player, but if it was negative the players might begin to question him and you would think Peter Moores’ respect among senior players might decrease.”
The turmoil surrounding the England post wouldn't put Key off either.
"If I were to get the job it would not be so much about what I would want as captain but more about how we go about winning a game of cricket as a team," he said. "The job of a captain is to find the right way of winning a game and that’s all."
Key also backed Graham Ford – Kent’s director of cricket - to take over as England coach if Moores is to depart, describing him as the “stand out candidate.”
For the full story see this weekend’s Kent on Sunday.
POSTED: 07/01/2009 15:55:10
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