England looked like having to decide between keeping Kevin Pietersen as captain or Peter Moores as coach after the star batsman called for an end to the duo’s “unhealthy” relationship.
The News of the World — the Sunday tabloid in which Pietersen has a column — said there appeared “little prospect” of the pair working together on the upcoming tour of the West Indies, where England will look to gather momentum ahead of their bid to reclaim the Ashes later this year.
It added there had been a “complete breakdown in what was an already fraught relationship” and said attempts by England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) managing director Hugh Morris to broker a peace deal between Pietersen and Moores now had an “impossible” chance of success.
PHOTO: AFP
Pietersen, who broke off from a holiday in his native South Africa to hold talks with Morris on Saturday, stopped short of calling for Moores’ sacking.
But the 28-year-old said: “This situation is not healthy, we have to make sure it is settled as soon as possible and certainly before we fly off to the West Indies. Everybody has to have the same aims and pull in the same direction for the good of the England team.”
Contrary to earlier reports, the paper said the exclusion of former England captain Michael Vaughan from the West Indies squad was not the cause of Pietersen’s bust-up with Moores, insisting the pair had already fallen out.
PHOTO: AFP
Former England captain David Gower believes Pietersen will win the power struggle.
“It’s a bit of a mess, but I’ve got a feeling Kevin Pietersen will get his way,” Gower told BBC Radio. “I think they [the ECB] are going to have to go with their captain because their captain is a mightily important figure in what happens this year and over the next few years. I think they are going to have to back their captain.”
Another former captain, Alec Stewart, warned the issue needed clearing up, telling his Sunday Mirror column that “a united front is paramount so that there is no chance of a split within the camp.”
Australia bowling legend Glenn McGrath meanwhile told the BBC: “There’s got to be a balance there, I think you need coach and captain working together and then you’ll have a really strong team.”
Pietersen took over as captain following Vaughan’s tearful resignation during August’s home series loss to South Africa.
He won widespread admiration for the way he recently led England, who lost the series 1-0, back to India for a two-Test tour that risked being abandoned because of the Mumbai terror attacks.
Moores is on a one-year rolling contract and any attempt to sack him could cost the ECB as much as £250,000 (US$363,000) and leave them scrambling to find a new coach days before England arrive in the Caribbean on Jan. 21 for a four-Test tour.
A “dressing-room source” told the News of the World: “There is no way Pietersen and Moores can work together, they’re just too far apart. The ECB are damned if they do and damned if they don’t. If they back KP [Pietersen], then there’s massive problems among the backroom staff. But if they go with the coach, then the best player becomes disillusioned, they possibly lose a captain and there is a huge fracture.”
Moores, given a chance by Saturday’s Sun, the News of the World’s daily sister paper, to play down his row with Pietersen, said: “I hope you understand that I can’t really comment at this stage.”
Former Sussex coach Moores replaced 2005 Ashes-winner Duncan Fletcher in the England job after last year’s World Cup in the West Indies.
In Moores’ 22 Tests as coach, England have won eight, lost six and drawn eight.
But seven of those wins came against New Zealand and the West Indies, two teams below England in the world rankings, while a win over South Africa, in Pietersen’s first match in full charge, only took place after the series had been lost.
■ BANGLADESH v S LANKA
AFP, CHITTAGONG, BANGLADESH
Sri Lanka bowled themselves into a position of strength despite a rearguard rally by Bangladesh tail-ender Mashrafe Mortaza on the second day of the second and final Test yesterday.
Spinners Ajantha Mendis and Muttiah Muralitharan shared seven wickets to bowl out the hosts for 208 in their first innings in reply to Sri Lanka’s 384.
It was Mortaza who spared Bangladesh the ignominy of following on, adding 63 for the last wicket with Shahadat Hossain (5 not out) after they were reeling at 145-9.
Mortaza hit eight fours and two sixes, one each off Mendis and Muralitharan, in his 89-ball 63. The only other player to offer some resistance was skipper Mohammad Ashraful who made 45 off 100 balls with five fours and a six.
Sri Lankan openers Malinda Warnapura (7) and Prasanna Jayawardene (6) took their side to 13-0 in their second innings at close for an overall lead of 189.
Mendis, playing only his fourth Test and his first away from home after missing the opening game in Dhaka because of an ankle injury, rattled the home team with his guiles.
He removed Mehrab Hossain (18) and the in-form Shakib Al Hasan for a first-ball duck off successive balls, besides taking the wickets of Mushfiqur Rahim (21) and Raqibul Hasan to finish with figures of 4-71.
Mendis, who enjoyed a sensational debut against India last year, picking up 26 wickets from three Tests, also got able support from Muralitharan (3-62).
The veteran bowler brought to an end a spirited knock by Ashraful, who flayed him for a six and two fours in an over, by having him caught behind.
Earlier, Chaminda Vaas dismissed both the openers to deny Bangladesh a strong start in their first innings.
The fast bowler removed Tamim Iqbal for a duck in the opening over and trapped Imrul Kayes leg before wicket for 6, Bangladesh slipping to a precarious 26-2.
Mendis picked the third Bangladeshi wicket to fall in the morning when Raqibul Hasan failed to read a straighter one from the bowler and was adjudged lbw.
Bangladesh’s batsmen failed to build on the good work of their bowlers, who dismissed the visitors after they had added just 13 runs to their overnight total of 371-6.
Shakib picked three of the four remaining wickets to finish with 4-109.
■ AUSTRALIA VS AFRICA
STAFF WRITER
Score at the close of play on the second day of the third Test in Sydney:
• Australia 445 all out
• South Africa 125-1
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