Ashes Odds Lengthen as Andrew Strauss Takes Over

The English cricketing world was turned upside-down and inside-out today as Captain Kevin Pietersen is officially stepping down as England's captain, after just a few months at the helm. This comes on the back of the tumultuous drama that has permeated English cricket since Pietersen's personality clash with English coach Peter Moore. Moore is expected to resign tomorrow. While things certainly aren't looking too optimistic for the Australians after their first test series defeat at home in over a decade, Englands stock has fallen dramatically and this is reflected at the bookmakers. Despite an Ashes on English soil this year, they are listed at 2.62 with Blue Square to secure victory in the test series. Ricky Ponting's Australia are 1.80 to secure the away victory. Andrew Strauss has been named as Pietersen's successor with immediate effect and he will be in charge of the team heading into the upcoming tour of the West Indies. Strauss has been in touch-and-go form with the bat in recent years, but has put together a solid series of performances recently and he has leadership experience, captaining England in a test series against Pakistan, which England subsequently won. I am advising against backing the Australians to win the Ashes and I have a feeling that the lack of pressure could see Pietersen's form with the bat improve even more dramatically and this could provide the spark to Strauss that the opening partnership will require to push forward in the coming days. Much will be known after the first few tests against the West Indies and, frankly, I expect England to come out like a house on fire and put the critics back in their place.