Pieterson and Swann may miss New Zealand series

CRICKET: Kevin Pietersen and Graeme Swann could miss the two Tests against New Zealand next month as they continue to recover from injuries, national selector Geoff Miller has warned.

Pietersen is resting a knee injury which forced him to fly home from England's tour to New Zealand last month, missing the final Test of the series, while Swann was absent for all three Tests so he could have an elbow operation.

Asked about their chances of participating in the series beginning on May 16, Miller said: "Swann maybe. KP, we'll monitor that. It's not absolutely necessary. We need depth because with the intensity of international cricket these days you are going to get these injuries. Pietersen is obviously being monitored by the medical people.

"It is not a pleasant injury, something behind the knee cap, and he's in a brace. We'll discuss about him for New Zealand and we will make the right decision when it comes to the crunch.

"I was with Swanny the other day, and he was at his ebullient best. He was very, very confident. He's pleased with the outcome of his operation. But we will manage his workload. He is so vital." Miller has been casting his eye over the first round of County Championship matches, visiting Edgbaston and Trent Bridge for the first two days of the season, with a visit to Old Trafford planned today.

He is more hopeful about the fitness of Pietersen, who is in India, and Swann for the Champions Trophy that begins in England in early June. "I am quietly confident," he said. "At this stage we don't know how Kevin's knee will react to the rest he is having, but the medical staff have said that an operation is not necessary at this stage."

And he was even more bullish about two England seamers who have suffered with injury of late. "Tim Bresnan is in good nick," he said. "There is Chris Tremlett as well, he's very positive about his body at the moment."

Miller appeared unconcerned about the wicketkeeping dilemma at Somerset where Craig Kieswetter, displaced from the England one-day team's wicketkeeping spot last winter by county colleague Jos Buttler, is taking the gloves ahead of his team-mate.

Buttler seems certain to be England's wicketkeeper for the Champions Trophy and it is thought that Somerset will allow him to keep in some one-day cricket before then. "He may well do," said Miller with a smile. "We have conversations with the counties. We say, 'This is what will be ideal from our point of view, but you've got to win competitions too. They are your players'.

"The communications between England and the counties have never been as good. It is about how we can work with each other, not against each other, so that the county and England can be successful." Miller did, however, admit some concern at the level of performance in the recent three-Test series in New Zealand that had been drawn 0-0. "It was disappointing," he said, "We didn't play to the quality we are capable of. We didn't do too much with the ball, which is unusual for us and that is being analysed. They will find out the reason for it. Batting-wise we showed character to get out of a couple of messes, but the way to win Tests on flat wickets is by weight of runs on the board first up.

"We didn't do that and we weren't allowed to dictate the series as a result. We weren't complacent, though.

- The Telegraph