Vaughan Questions Kieswetter And Co

Craig Kieswetter celebrates after reaching his maiden one day century between Bangladesh and England on March 5, 2010.

The South African-born wicketkeeper Craig Kieswetter scored a match-winning century in his third match for England today but his decision to switch allegiance has not impressed everyone.

Kieswetter, in just his third one-day international, hit 107 during England’s 45-run victory over Bangladesh in Chittagong. But the former England captain Michael Vaughan would like to see 11 Englishmen representing the national side.

Vaughan told the London launch of the Jaguar Academy of Sport, in comments reported in The Independent: “I would like to see, in an ideal world, 11 complete Englishmen in the team.”

Vaughan said he could see how the likes of Kevin Pietersen, who had never played for South Africa, could make the move but was unhappy about Kieswetter and the batsman Jonathan Trott, who both played at some level for their native country.

“Someone like Kevin Pietersen made the decision very early to come over to England and he learnt a lot of his cricket here,” said Vaughan.

“I do have a problem when the likes of Jonathan Trott play for England and Kieswetter, who’s played for the South African Under-19s. I think in Trott’s case he even played for the South Africa A team.

“Now that is where I have a problem, that we have almost got a ’ship-in’ system of looking at talent, and a lot of them come over for the money. It’s very, very difficult to stop them. I would like to see, in an ideal world, 11 complete Englishmen in the team but I don’t think that’s ever going to be the case.”

With thanks to the guardian.co.uk

Johannesburg-born Craig Kieswetter insists he is ‘proud to be English’ (guardian.co.uk)

Sports Illustrated