The nation’s pivotal and most flamboyant cricketer is at odds with his coach – let the countdown to the Ashes begin.
No, it’s not Shane Warne versus John Buchanan, but a spat between the great Australian leg-spinner’s close mate, Kevin Pietersen, and England coach Peter Moores that is threatening to derail the home side’s campaign against their old foes.
The similarities are striking.
Warne launched a stinging attack against then-coach Buchanan’s army-style bush training camp in the lead-up to the 2006-07 series in Australia.
And, in further criticism of Buchanan’s unorthodox training methods, the now-retired Warne suggested top cricketers don’t need coaching.
“I believe you need a manager rather than a coach,” said Warne.
“As an international cricketer, you know you’re good enough and you don’t need a coach getting too technical.”
It seems disagreement over training methods – along with a personality, or ego, clash – are a the heart of the problem between Warne’s Hampshire team-mate Pietersen and Moores.
The omission of former England captain Michael Vaughan for the upcoming tour of the West Indies was initially thought to have angered skipper Pietersen.
But it now appears that was just the last straw.
Moores’ focus on statistical analysis is seen as too much of a contrast to the impulsive Pietersen, who criticised the coach’s “all day, every day” training regime employed before England’s tour of New Zealand a year ago.
Reports suggest the outspoken Pietersen has never got along with Moores.
After one of Warne’s outbursts against Buchanan, former Australia vice-captain Adam Gilchrist said: “Everyone knows that Warney and John have never seen eye to eye so I don’t think we’ve found out anything new there.”
Ex-England captain Graham Gooch has gone so far as to suggest the time Pietersen and Warne spent together at Hampshire might have had a negative effect on the South African-born batsman.
“Unfortunately I think he has been influenced a little bit by Shane Warne at Hampshire,” Gooch told BBC Radio’s 5 Live on Monday.
“Warne was a great motivator as a player but, as one of the all-time icons of the game and after leading the Rajasthan Royals to the Indian Premier League title last year, he doesn’t really believe in coaching.”
While Moores has refused to comment, Pietersen told the Sunday tabloid News of the World: “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.”
The very public Pietersen-Moores rift could not have come to a head at a worse time for England.
The Ashes start six months from Thursday and, with Australia having struggled at home against South Africa, many had been talking up England’s chances of repeating their 2005 triumph later this year.
Thursday also marks Pietersen’s return from holiday in Africa, and England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) chiefs are expected to have a solution to the problem by the week’s end.
Pietersen has reportedly threatened to quit the captaincy if he is not satisfied and he is widely tipped to win the power struggle that appears to have the ECB facing a choice between the two men.
Sacking Moores would leave limited time to replace him and his backroom supporters before the squad flies to the Caribbean on January 21, not to mention put an Ashes-winning structure in place.
Australian Tom Moody, the former Sri Lanka coach, has been mentioned among a list of possible replacements for Moores.
A Pietersen victory would also set what many see as an unsavoury precedent, however, where the captain selects the coach.
Cricket analyst Simon Hughes wrote in Britain’s The Daily Telegraph: “In cricket, the coach’s position is more delicate than in any other sport … he has little control over the team once play starts, yet will usually get the blame if things go awry.”
Should the ECB call Pietersen’s bluff – if indeed it is a bluff – and stick with Moores, irreparable damage has been done.
The most likely replacement as captain is Andrew Strauss, who has rediscovered his Test form, but has not played a one-day international for more than 18 months.
Whatever happens, the very best – albeit unlikely – outcome the English can hope for is that the script follows that the Warne-Buchanan boot-camp stoush and ends in a 5-0 Ashes whitewash for the hosts.
Build your own fantasy cricket team and put it to the test with Draftstars daily fantasy competitions. Pick your match, pick your team and watch the points roll in to take out cash prizes on each match. What are you really gambling with? Set a deposit limit.
Backing up too far, the Dehli Capitals batsman was caught out of his crease when Shai Hope hit the ball to the bowler who…
After some mid-over words between the Indian teammates as Kohli belted Shama for 10 runs in two balls, the bowler had the last laugh…
The TV Umpire ruled that the batsman deliberately changed his line to block the throw at the stumps.
Sunil Narine could not believe what he'd done. The Kolkata Knight Riders batter was castled first ball after shouldering arms to Mumbai Indians pacer…
James Anderson's record-breaking international cricket career will end this northern summer, following crunch talks with England head coach Brendon McCullum. Anderson announced on Saturday…
Through electric bowling, dashing batting and acrobatic fielding the West Indies made themselves one of the most popular teams throughout history.
