The idea that James Taylor is ready for the England team and especially ready to replace Pietersen is laughable.
He's played a great number of Lions games and has rarely impressed.
Pietersen is a disappointment but as most pundits have been saying replacing him or any other batsmen requires suitable replacements and none stand out presently. Young players with potential are numerous but you need more than potential to play top International cricket.
I question having Pietersen batting at 4 as this can be a crucial position especially when two wickets go quickly. He seems unable or, unwilling to play a steady shoring up role.

fisrt of all to clarify one thing, we dont have many batsman in the world that can perform in all types of conditions anyway.
kp is not struggling with the conditions. i would rather say he is struggling with a quality pace attack. look at the india series. before then all heads are out saying if he fails against india then he might as well be dropped. but india which is a very poor attack, he scored tons of runs. I think most england players fortune lies in sa series. i cant see england doing any changes atm, whatever results at the end of the series is. so players like bell, cook, kp and strauss(as a batsman) will be decided once sa series is over.

Strauss, Prior and Bell will not be playing ODI cricket for England so I checked what cricket games await them back at their county teams.
The last day of the final test v WI is the 11th June. Warwickshire Bell's county, begin to play T20 cricket on the 13th June and those games continue untill the 8th July. They return to 4-day cricket on the 12th July but the first test v SA begins on the 19th July.
That means as practice for test matches Bell will have only a diet of T20 cricket as preparation.
I suspect both Strauss and Prior will face similar situations.
The ECB really have planned the county season without any thought to this situation. Bowlers who will also not be in the ODI squad will be in the same boat.

First of all, hopefor I didn't say James Taylor should replace KP just like that, though I do feel he should be given a chance. As he is now going to play for a much higher ranked county, I did say I hope he hits the ground running that way he may be in line for a selection... But, agree you can't just expect to put Taylor into the deep end and expect him to perform.

Agree, with Viru though, it may be the fact that he's being coming up against very good attacks that he is failing, though I would not rate SL a very good attack. I for one feel if he is unable to perform against the Saffers then you really have to say goodbye...

Ideally you want to introduce new players into a team where most batsmen are in form. Bringing a young player into a team that's struggling adds enormous pressure. Eoin Morgan came into a team who's batsmen were in top form but even then was unable to take advantage.
I think England have missed opportunities in the past when new talent could be introduced. Only Carberry and Morgan have been given a chance in two years. I'm talking about batsmen not bowlers, as a host of seam bowlers have gained test opportunities.

I agree with what you are saying that is why I felt England made a big mistake in not playing Taylor in Morgan's position when he was hitting form more than a year ago... That is why I am also saying I hope Taylor does hit form at the start/through out the season that way he will be noticed, as would others. If KP comes back into form, it'll be great...but I can see him failling again in the next Test then the games v WI's and RSA at home, he'll once again hit form...then go to the sub-continent and fail again. You just can't allow that.

Amir, I suspect that Bairstow is top of the list of new talent at present.

Bairsow, Taylor, Woakes- though he has fallen beind due to the strength of the lower order and the bowlers. Though, Woakes would be a pretty good ODI/T20 player, unlucky to not be given more of a chance after what he did against Australia... I also rate Ben Stokes, he was unlucky when he got a finger injury towards the end of last season, which didn't help when he got a chance to play for England.

I believe Woakes is a far better bowler in the longer format than than one dayers. %6 wickets at 21 and 48 with the bat.
I listened to all the Bear's games on the radio and he's seems to be often expensive with the new ball and when he's played for the Lions and England he's often opened and bowled his best with the older ball.
He's a real talent but with so many bowlers queuing up for places it' going to be tough for him.

sorry that' 56 wickets.

Why would they drop him in the first place? What alternatives are there that would be better?

Is there anyone in Sth.Africa showing the form that warrants Pieterson's position in the team.....you have to keep the balance..

I hear Kallis is going well at the moment...

Wessels was their when you needed him rabbit. You'd probably have got more but he gave his compatriots a warning to keep away.

Ha! Ha! Ha!... you go back 30-odd years and find a bloke who couldn't even play for his country whilst your mob have a balance of St.African players.... give me a break....

Wasn't Symonds English?

You lads get really sappy when the rest of the cricketing world can fill their team with local born products whilst your mob are stacked with in-ports with a foreign tongue...

rabbit you're just peed off because they prefer to come to England instead of your sad island.

Wasn't Khawaja, the guy who for a brief period whilst Australia in their own back yard were getting gang banged by the English tipped to be Ponting's replacement? Eh, Sydney?... And, where was this Usman Khawaja born again?

Yes, England have a lot of Saffers in their team, but you need to remember they learned their trait in England. They were taught by English people, on English soil, to play the English way, for an English team, eating English food and living and breathing in England. Understand, you little waste?!

"Why would they drop him in the first place? What alternatives are there that would be better?"

There is no point in dropping him at this moment in time because there is no proper back-up apart from a Bopara. I think we need to wait till the county season kicks in, let the likes of Ben Stokes and Taylor prove their worth once again and if KP continues to fail... Sorry, but he needs dropping... After what has happened this winter no-one can sit here and say no changes need to be made to this line-up...

AVFV........(They were taught by English people, on English soil, to play the English way, for an English team, eating English food and living and breathing in England.)

It's a shame they dont talk like a plommie then you might be able to seel your arguement......besides what about Pieterson's comment a while back when he was struggling with form just after he lost the captains job, he said.....( I'll go back home with friends & family and work my way through this period).....funny how he went to Cape Town and not Brighton.....

Rabbit

http://amarudontv.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/broken-record-765056.jpg

Fact is the truth hurts....