Agreed. And if anyone can show him, it's Thorpe. He played beautifully late. I still maintain he's one of the most underrated English batsmen of my lifetime - largely because he was always playing in shít sides where he was the only world-class bat. I know it was the right decisions to pick Pietersen in 2005, but it was still a very shoddy end for Thorpe.
poor nets obviously. I remember being in the bar at Quo Vadis (the places we'd go to when we were young!) and got chatting to these Kiwi girls one of whom claimed to be the girl that Thorpe smuggled into his room in NZ. Hardly worth risking your marriage for, let alone your England place (and yes that is the right order of importance)