Downton may be forced to choose between pair

THE future direction of the England Test team looks likely to revolve around the controversial figure of Kevin Pietersen.

SO HERE we go again. As England reach another crossroads after the Ashes whitewash in Australia, a crucial decision for the future direction of the team looks likely to revolve around the controversial figure of Kevin Pietersen.

This time, the problem stems from a deterioration in the working relationship between Pietersen and Andy Flower, the team director. Reports from Australia suggest that relations between the pair have degenerated to such an extent that Flower may be prepared to resign rather than include Pietersen in his rebuilding of the side.

It has been suggested that Pietersen has become a divisive influence in the dressing room, and that the manner of several of his dismissals in the Ashes series when apparently batting well has led to some strong exchanges.

If the two cannot co-exist, it may fall to Paul Downton, the new managing director of England Cricket, to choose between the star batsman and the coach - some introduction to the job. Downton, who replaced Hugh Morris on January 1, will conduct an internal review into the 5-0 series defeat in the coming weeks that will involve speaking to players and backroom staff before making his recommendations.

Pietersen is being rested from the one-day series against Australia that begins in Melbourne on Sunday. Ashley Giles, the one-day coach, will take the managerial reins from Flower for the five 50-over matches and three Twenty20 internationals. Flower has stated his desire to remain in his post and was backed to continue last week by David Collier, the ECB chief executive.

Pietersen has indicated his intention to continue his Test career at least until the Ashes series next year. "I want to thank all the England fans for their terrific support," he tweeted on Monday. "And I'm determined to help regain the Ashes in 2015."

There have been suggestions that further complications could arise when Pietersen negotiates his next Indian Premier League deal. His contract with Delhi Daredevils has expired and IPL franchises will announce their list of players retained on three-year deals before the player auction on February 12. At 33, the next three-year deal may be Pietersen's last in the lucrative Twenty20 tournament.

Sources close to the player indicated, however, that Pietersen's overriding priority is to extend his international career and achieve his remaining ambitions in Test cricket.

Before the Ashes series, he spoke of a desire to play in the Test series away to South Africa in 2016 and reiterated his desire to reach 10,000 Test runs. His present tally is 8,181 after a disappointing series in Australia, although his meagre return of 294 runs was the highest among England's batsmen.

The new central contracts signed by England players before the Ashes restrict involvement in the IPL until May 13, requiring their return for the one-day series at home to Sri Lanka, starting on May 22.

In the aftermath of the fifth Test defeat, in Sydney, Flower refused to be drawn on Pietersen's future. Instead, he spoke in general terms. "This will be a new start and so it should be, it does feel like the end of some type of era," he said.

The last few years have seen Pietersen drawn into a number of scrapes with authority. Five years ago this week, his brief stint as England captain came to an abrupt end, with Peter Moores also losing his job after Pietersen requested his removal as coach. Flower was the batting coach then, loyal to Moores, but he patched up his relationship with Pietersen after his promotion to head coach.

Further problems arose in 2012, when Pietersen was dropped from the Test side to play South Africa for sending derogatory text messages to opposition players about Andrew Strauss, then the captain, forcing a period of "reintegration" before he returned to the Test side under Alastair Cook, who had replaced Strauss. Cook had viewed the challenge of including Pietersen in pragmatic terms, reasoning that England would stand more chance of winning Test matches with their most destructive batsman in the line-up.

Pietersen quickly repaid Cook's faith with a brilliant innings of 186 that underpinned England's victory over India in Mumbai in November 2012. Last summer, Pietersen became the highest aggregate run-scorer for England in all forms of the game, surpassing Graham Gooch's tally of 13,190.

It remains to be seen whether Flower - and Cook, for that matter - now feel that Pietersen remains an indisposable part of their plans, with the team about to enter a transitional period.

Michael Vaughan, the former England captain, has suggested that the best use of Pietersen's talent would be to entrust him with a position of responsibility, perhaps as vice-captain. If Pietersen cannot repair his relationship with Flower, though, such a scheme would seem highly unlikely, as would the prospect of both protagonists surviving until the Ashes series next year.

The Times