WAR is a very nasty business. I know that is not the most profound of statements, but people seem to forget it sometimes, especially when we get horrible news such as the recent deaths of six British servicemen in Afghanistan. This must be an awful time f

WAR is a very nasty business.

I know that is not the most profound of statements, but people seem to forget it sometimes, especially when we get horrible news such as the recent deaths of six British servicemen in Afghanistan.

This must be an awful time for the families and friends of the soldiers involved, and I can't imagine the pain and grief they are feeling.

But should the public at large really be so shocked that soldiers are dying in a combat zone? You can argue all you want about whether they have the appropriate equipment, or if they have been deployed in the right areas, but surely the most obvious answer is that if you don't want people to die then don't go to war in the first place.

I also fail to understand why such a fuss is being made about the age of some of these dead soldiers. At 18 you are an adult, old enough to do pretty much anything you like in this country. Why shouldn't you be allowed to go into the army, and thus go to war?

I don't mean to trivialise the loss of any life, but recruits join the forces knowing the risks involved in the job. According to statistics produced by the United Nations, 264 Afghan civilians have died in the conflict in 2009 alone. None of them signed up to live in the middle of a war, yet new civilian causalities are barely given the time of day in the national press. There is something a bit wrong about that if you ask me.

I can't be the only English Cricket fan with no nails left after the climax of the first test against Australia.

England clung on manfully for a draw in dramatic circumstances, and if the first game is anything to go by this series looks set to be as exciting as its' 2005 predecessor.

If England are to regain the Ashes, they'll need their big players to perform, and they don't come any bigger than bombastic batsman Kevin Pietersen.

So I was disappointed to see Pietersen give his wicket away in the first innings with a quite ridiculous shot, one which you wouldn't expect to see from one of the worlds leading batsmen.

The problem with Pietersen is that, like footballer Cristiano Ronaldo, he's not a team player. It's always all about Pietersen, and for him to shrug off the mistake as "part of the way I play" is completely irresponsible.

Hopefully we won't see anymore nutty shots from "KP" as the series progresses!