Relationship between Pietersen and Flower has broken down to the point that pair may no longer co-exist, fate rests on new managing director Downton
london: Paul Downton, the new managing director of England cricket, will decide the futures of Andy Flower and Kevin Pietersen, whose relationship has broken down to the extent they may not both be able to carry on as part of the England Test set-up.
Downton, appointed on January 1, will conduct the ECB’s internal review of the Ashes whitewash. He will speak to each player and member of backroom staff as he compiles his report and will take his time before making any decisions on the fate of leading figures within the management and team.
Flower has told the ECB he wants to rebuild the England team and the board have so far backed him publicly but ultimately the decision to keep him or not will rest with Downton. Pietersen said on Monday he wants to help England regain the Ashes in 2015 but privately fears he will be made a scapegoat for the 5-0 series defeat. “Very disappointed to lose 5-0, and not to score more runs personally. Tough tour against a top class team. #Ashes,” Pietersen said on Twitter.
“I want to thank all the England fans for their terrific support. And I’m determined to help regain the Ashes in 2015.”
Should Downton conclude Flower should stay, it may spell the end of Pietersen’s Test career. Despite being England’s most talented batsman, he has little support within the ECB hierarchy and his relationship with Flower broke down completely last year and hasn’t been repaired since. There’ve been suggestions Flower might consider resigning should Pietersen remain part of the England squad.
England will also watch with interest what attitude Pietersen takes to this year’s Indian Premier league. Pietersen’s deal with the Delhi Daredevils expired last year and IPl franchises will soon announce their retained list of players who have agreed new three year deals. The rest will enter the auction.
If Pietersen signs a new deal with Delhi it will be viewed by England as a sign of where his priorities lie and could hasten his exit from international cricket, especially as two other leading England players, Stuart Broad and Ben Stokes, are expected to turn down IPl offers in order to prepare for next summer’s Test duties.
One potential option for England is to settle Pietersen’s central contract and try to persuade him to retire without causing a stir. However, Pietersen has rarely backed down in his dealings with the ECB. There is no doubt Pietersen fears he will be a casualty as England assess the wreckage of this Ashes tour.
He retweeted Michael Vaughan’s Telegraph Sport column to his 1.5m followers yesterday in which the former England captain pleaded with Cook and Flower to stick with Pietersen, suggesting he should be appointed vice-captain. He only returned to the side after the text scandal of 2012 at the insistence of Cook, who recognised in his early days of captaincy he needed his best player at his side if he was to establish a winning culture.
In India last year Pietersen repaid Cook with one of his greatest innings in the win in Mumbai which turned the Test series in England’s favour.
Pietersen batted selflessly in the Melbourne Test when Cook needed a performance from his most experienced batsman but cut a distant figure on the outfield rarely involved in tactical discussions with other senior players and the captain.
Smoothing over the relationship between Flower and Pietersen could be high on Downton’s list of priorities as England can ill afford to lose another senior player following the retirement of Graeme Swann and the uncertainty over Jonathan Trott’s long term future.
Downton will at least be buoyed that Broad and Stokes, England’s two leading players from the Ashes series, are set to deliver a boost to by turning down the opportunity to play in the IPl.
It is understood Broad and Stokes will not be entering the IPl auction in February despite interest from franchises. Stokes is believed to have been approached by one franchise to play in the IPl in April and May but has decided to concentrate on building his England career after emerging from the wreckage of the Ashes series as the most promising player for the future.
As an allrounder with star potential, Stokes could have commanded a large fee in the IPl auction on Feb 12 while Broad has boosted his own status with two good Ashes series with the ball. Broad, England’s Twenty20 captain, signed a deal with Kings XI Punjab in 2011 and 2012 but never actually played a game due to injury.
The new central contracts allow England players a window to play in the IPl only until May 13 this year which disappointed officials in India who had thought they would be available for longer. But England want the players home before the one-day series against Sri lanka which starts on May 22 and Flower is keen to see his batsmen in particular play in the county championship. Daily Telegraph