Botham: KP omission no surprise

Nasser Hussain and Ian Botham agree that Kevin Pietersen has only himself to blame after being left out of the England squad to tour India.

Pietersen was absent from Tuesday's list of 16 names for next month's trip, having also been left out of the final Test against South Africa and the World Twenty20 squad after sending "derogatory" text messages to South Africa players earlier in the three-Test series.

A statement released on his behalf said he was "naturally disappointed" to miss out, having "gone to great lengths to reach a reconciliation" with the England and Wales Cricket Board.

But former England captain Botham told Sky Sports News: "(It is) no real surprise at all, it is a case of moving on.

"He is a great player. It is his choice, it was a strange thing to do to send those messages.

"If he held his hands up straight away and apologised then fine, but he didn't. It's very difficult for all parties. We move on."

Hussain added: "It's a shame because any time you tour India you want the best cricketers and best players of spin.

"Pietersen fits both categories. India will be a lot happier with Kevin Pietersen not going out there, but most of the making of this has come from Pietersen, who has made some horrendous errors.

"Whenever he comes back, maybe the sooner the better, the team have got to tell Kevin what their problems are with him and Kevin has to say what his problems are with the team. The sooner they kiss and make up the better.

"Kevin Pietersen has got to adhere to what (captain Alastair) Cook and (team director Andy) Flower want. We are talking about good men.

"What they are doing is what they think is right for English cricket and if they think it's best Kevin stays on the sideline, I agree with them.

"Kevin Pietersen needs England, no doubt about that. There are signs they made up, but maybe it is a little bit too soon."

Botham, though, admits Pietersen will be able to fill his time profitably playing Twenty20 in India and Australia - and believes it is time for England to plan for a long-term future without him.

"He will do very well. He will cope, and will go off to play (the Indian Premier League), the Big Bash," he said.

"England will be okay. We had a great time, he has been a great player but we move on.

"It's not worked out. No ifs and buts, the reality is he isn't going."

National selector Geoff Miller insists the Pietersen issue was taken out of his hands by the England management team.

"We are just the selectors, they let us know it hasn't been resolved," he told Sky Sports News.

"It is disappointing, he is a world-class player but it is about a team game and I can't keep going on about that point.

"You want to take your best players but he wasn't available, we have to move on with other players."

Miller, however, believes Pietersen has a future in the national set-up.

"He might do, we will wait and see," he said. "It depends on when those issues are resolved."

Miller spoke to the player to explain why he was omitted and told BBC Radio Five Live: "I told him exactly why he hasn't been selected and explained this. We had a five, 10 minute chat and that remains private.

"He is one of the best players in the world and he has shown that on many an occasion. It is not just about an individual in a changing room, it is a team ethic and unity."

With former captain Andrew Strauss also out of the squad after retiring from the game, there are opportunities for two uncapped batsmen - Yorkshire youngster Joe Root and Somerset's Nick Compton - in the sub-continent.

And Hussain said: "Some have said that maybe Root is going a year too early but I spoke to Graham Thorpe, who was in charge of the development squad, and he said the one to look out for is Joe Root.

"He hasn't set the world alight this season and averages 40 in (LV= County Championship) Division Two but that isn't the be all and end all.

"Compton has done the opposite and set the world alight, averaging about 99 albeit with the majority of those games at Taunton. He can obviously play."