Broad believes selectors should have dropped KP instead of sacking to avoid PR disaster

England fast bowler Stuart Broad is of the opinion that axed batsman Kevin Pietersen should have been dropped by the national team a year ago rather than sacked.

Broad feels that the PR disaster for cricket that has roared on for more than an year might have been avoided had Pietersen just been left out of the England squad until the batsman proved himself again in county cricket.

Broad said that Pietersen's sacking didn't do the game any good at all, adding that the image of the team and the sport has been damaged slightly with the axed batsman wanting to sell books etc, the Mirror reported.

The paceman said that it could have been handled very differently, adding that he doesn't think Pietersen needed to be sacked. He insisted that every other player just gets dropped, but added that this was made a very big thing out of.

Broad said that if he would have been there he would have said that it has been such a disastrous tour and all the players didn't perform to an international standard; Pietersen has to go and show some form in county cricket to get back into this England team in May.

Broad said that then one picks the players who went and performed and did their duties for their counties, adding that it is a bit of an old school way of doing it, but sometimes one needs that.