Pace the answer to England's problems

Scyld Berry writes in the Sunday Telegraph that England must turn to pace to put Pakistan's batsmen on the backfoot in the one-day series coming up.

When the first of four day/night internationals begins on Monday, England will go the same way — downhill rapidly — if their pace bowlers cannot strike decisively. England have won a single competitive match since September, a Twenty20 international against India, and four more defeats would take their total to 12 to set against that solitary win.

In the Observer Barney Ronay writes that the series could be the last chance for Kevin Pietersen to rescue his flagging one-day career.

Pietersen's return at the top of the order is a reprise of the role he attempted, with some success, at the World Cup, before injury struck. It is also something approaching a final roll of the dice for a player once recognised as unquestionably England's top 50-over gun, but who has not scored an ODI hundred for three years and whose lustre as a match-winner has unquestionably dimmed.

In the Independent on Sunday, Stephen Brenkley writes that this will be a big series for Pietersen and Joss Buttler.