Pietersen returns amid upheaval
Kevin Pietersen faces questions over his conduct as England captain
Also In The News
|
England cricket captain Kevin Pietersen and head coach Peter Moores have left their posts after their ongoing dispute came to a head at an emergency ECB meeting earlier this week. |  |
Thursday, 08, Jan 2009 09:39
Kevin Pietersen has flown back into London after his holiday in South Africa, just a day after he resigned as England cricket captain.
The middle-order star, 28, confirmed yesterday afternoon that he was standing down from the England captaincy after just five months in the job.
He landed at Heathrow airport in the early hours of the morning, and now faces the task of reintegrating himself into the rank and file of the team under his successor Andrew Strauss.
Strauss himself was appointed as the new captain at a hastily-arranged press conference at the Oval cricket ground, at which England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) managing director Hugh Morris confirmed head coach Peter Moores had been sacked.
"The board determined that he should relinquish his role as England team director," Morris said yesterday, citing an "irretrievable breakdown" in the relationship between captain and coach.
"I have the greatest respect for the dignity which Peter Moores has shown in recent days when he has found himself under extreme pressure.
"The ECB wish him well in his future roles."
Pietersen could now face an inquest into his actions, which included speaking out against Moores' abilities and questioning his tactics in the press – an approach that raised questions among some senior commentators.
Former England captain Nassar Hussein commented: "You can't just sit on safari in South Africa and issue ultimatums to the board about the England cricket captaincy.
"It is far too important for that."
A new coach will be appointed for the upcoming West Indies tour "as soon as possible", Morris added, and he said the ECB would "embark on an immediate search for a [permanent] coach who can provide England with the best chance of success in the coming years".