Kevin Pietersen out of the Ashes series

England batsman Kevin Pietersen has been ruled out of the rest of the Ashes as he recovers from career-threatening surgery on the achilles tendon injury that impaired him during the first two Tests of the series against Australia. Warwickshire's Ian bell is expected to replace Pietersen in the Third Test, beginning at Edgbaston next week.

The cricketer has been below par during the two Tests played to date, scoring 153 runs in four innings at 38.25, well below his career average of just over 50, and has been criticised for the 'soft' nature of some of his dismissals. He spent much time off the pitch during the Second Test at Lord's with the injury.

WHAT THEY ARE SAYING
Mike Atherton, the Times: "Pietersen has obviously been struggling for some time, cortisone injections masking the pain but not the problem. Questions will be raised again as to his participation in the Indian Premier League, a tournament that took place after the batsman had suffered initial problems with his Achilles tendon in the Caribbean last winter. That now seems like it was the ideal time to have rested. His form has been affected by his lack of mobility. Pietersen's running at Lord's, always eccentric, verged on the schizophrenic, his body unable to do his mind's bidding. And while he was committed and proud enough to make the top score in the first innings in Cardiff and 44 in the second innings at Lord's, the runs were not scored in the manner we have come to expect. Watching Pietersen is usually a pleasure; at Lord's it was almost purgatory."

Rob Smyth, the Guardian: "It is an enormous blow, clearly, but it is not a fatal one. England's most memorable success of the last four years, in the CB Series of 2006-07, came without Pietersen, and they might be secretly glad that they finally know where they stand. Since the start of the series the cricket fraternity has felt the constant need to talk about Kevin, and many people will now be glad that he has given them cause to shut up. The simple truth is that Pietersen, surely, had no option but to have an operation. Whether you regard him as an insufferably selfish character or someone who is only invigorated by a glory that is intrinsically characterised by team rather than personal achievement (the latter, since you asked), there can be no doubt that this decision would have been taken with the heaviest of hearts."

Andrew Miller, Cricinfo.com: "Nevertheless, as Andy Flower said on Tuesday, while bracing the media for this bombshell, England can survive, and even thrive, without the big guns in their side. In the case of Flintoff, that has already been proven by the unfortunate statistics that have accompanied his recent travails - Monday's victory at Lord's was only his fourth in 24 matches since the 2005 Ashes, and his first in a live series since May 2006. With Pietersen, however, the situation is somewhat less clear. Since making his debut at Lord's, four years ago to the week, he has not missed a single one of England's 54 Tests, and in that time he's contributed to an unremarkable overall record of W18 L17 D19. Is he a help or a hindrance? Maybe the next three matches will decide. Either way, the onus is on England's middle-order to front up in Pietersen's absence, which - as it happens - is something they have often failed to do in his presence. Ian Bell is the man who can expect the call-up to his role, and two less similar characters it is hard to imagine."

David Lloyd, the Independent: "Choosing Ian Bell to replace Kevin Pietersen in next week's second Ashes Test is the easy part. Deciding that he should take over from Ravi Bopara at No 3 will need a bit more thought from England's hierarchy. As a general rule, it's a good idea to keep changes to a minimum when trouble strikes. And there is no doubt captain Andrew Strauss and coach Andy Flower, when they are given a squad of players for Edgbaston, will be tempted to ease Bell into Pietersen's No 4 slot and then, Andrew Flintoff's fitness permitting, leave well alone. After all, if it ain't broke then don't fix it. But while Bopara is by no means broken in the vital position of first wicket down, he has been showing signs of mental and technical wear and tear that would be solved, most probably, by a move down the order."

Mike Selvey, the Guardian: "Pietersen is a batsman gifted beyond anyone else in the England team and would bend the knee to no one in the Australian team either, with the exception of Ricky Ponting. And he might even be in the top five Aussie batsmen of all time and arguably second to The Don. Thus has been removed the fulcrum of the batting. Pietersen has the ability to change games in an hour. He offers a physical presence in much the same way as Matthew Hayden did, has solid fundamentals without which no player becomes a giant, but has the imagination to think laterally and the supreme confidence in his ability to go with it. And he brings 50 runs for every time he goes to the crease." ·