KP or not KP?

England finally managed a genuinely earned victory this winter, as Andrew Strauss's form continued with the bat to guide his side over the finishing line. Although results may not have
gone his way, on a personal note, Strauss has managed the pressure and responsibility manfully, and deserves more plaudits than he has received.
However, it is not the result that has caught my attention. As the match began England looked themselves, tired, worn down and lacking inspiration. However, there was a clear turning point, sparked partly by a flurry of wickets including that of the talismanic Gayle but just as much by the departure from the field of one Kevin Pieterson.
There was an irony that his back went into spasm in the week that he had had enough and wanted to be back in Blighty, an irony exacerbated by the fact that the damage occurred as Pieterson bowled to Shiv Chanderpaul, the same man KP had accused of picking up oddly timed injuries. The conspiracy theories start here.
Of more interest was how the England players responded. It could be an illusion, no doubt aided by the victory, but the team seemed almost immediately re-energised and more relaxed. There is no doubt that KP is a model professional and a world-class batsman, but it is equally clear that he isn't over the mental anguish he suffered during the tour of India and being stripped of the captaincy. His century in the final test match masked a series of disappointment which has continued into the ODI series and as a result there is a question which needs to be asked; even if fit, should KP be dropped for the last match of the series?
The notion of being dropped has all sorts of connotations, and perhaps "rested" would be a better choice, but there is a strong argument for putting KP out of his misery and sending him home. He will not have wanted to effect his teammates, but there can be no doubt that his outburst last week will have caused alarm around an already shaken dressing room. England need Pieterson at his best; it is his confrontational nature that makes him such a pleasure to watch, but if he is distracted his public profile is such that anything he says will be over-analysed, and at the moment it is possible that his own personal battle this winter could start to effect his teammates, more than this top sportsman would wish.
As a result, perhaps the best thing England can do is send home their top batsman, even as a series stands in the balance. The early retreat would allow Pieterson some clearly needed "me time", and the sooner he can relax the better for England with the Aussies just around the corner. Equally, it would allow his teammates time away from the media circus that will follow him even more keenly after his interview last week. It is possible his injury will make the decision for the selectors, but even if he is passed physically fit, perhaps his mind needs a break.