This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2015/apr/02/alastair-cook-kevin-pietersen-ecb

The article has changed 7 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 3 Version 4
Alastair Cook: Kevin Pietersen decision rests with ECB, not me Alastair Cook: Kevin Pietersen decision rests with ECB, not me
(about 7 hours later)
Alastair Cook insists any decision over an international return for Kevin Pietersen will rest with the senior hierarchy at the England and Wales Cricket Board and not himself. England’s Test captain, Alastair Cook, and head coach, Peter Moores, flew to the Caribbean with their players on Thursday knowing only a convincing series win will quell the growing talk of an international return for Kevin Pietersen.
The England captain and the head coach Peter Moores presented a united front as they spoke on Thursday before the senior side’s flight to Saint Kitts, for the start of the three-Test tour of the Caribbean. Pietersen has signed to play county cricket for Surrey this summer and hopes a glut of runs – along with an England failure in their three Tests against West Indies this month – can prompt a rethink from the selectors.
The subject of Pietersen has dominated the agenda since the start of March, when the incoming ECB chairman, Colin Graves, suggested only runs in the County Championship could result in the exiled batsman playing for England again. But Cook and Moores, speaking before the journey to St Kitts and Monday’s first tour match, refused to be drawn on whether they could countenance such a controversial return for the 34-year-old. And they instead maintained that a trio senior figures at the England and Wales Cricket Board – chairman-elect Colin Graves, chief executive Tom Harrison and managing director Paul Downton – and not themselves would be the ones to make the call.
“Contrary to what you may read, I’m a long way away from that decision,” Cook said. “It’s down to Paul, Tom and Colin about Kevin – it’s not down to us. We’ve got 16 guys going to West Indies who are desperate to start turning round English cricket from what’s happened over the last three months [at the World Cup]. It’s not for us to focus on. We have to be so strong in the West Indies to try to win that series. It’s the only thing that matters. The three guys at the top of the ECB have to make that decision.”
Moores said: “I’ll tell you it from my point of view, Kevin isn’t on the radar. He can’t be in mine or Cooky’s focus at all. That’s not my decision, I’ve got enough decisions to make. Kevin’s not on this trip so I don’t have to focus on him at all. My focus is to support Alastair as captain and make sure we put the best XI out and we play the sort of cricket people want to watch and help us win.”
Pietersen revealed on Thursday that he is hoping to begin his season with Surrey in a three-day match against Oxford MCCU in The Parks, starting on 12 April. Responding to a question on periscope.tv, Pietersen said: “I think I am going to be playing at Oxford, just to get some overs in my legs.”
Moores in particular is under pressure to start producing results, with a 3-1 Test series win over India last summer the only highlight in his 12 months since returning for a second spell as head coach. Graves’s claim that there would be “inquiries” should England fail to win in the Caribbean makes this tour look win or bust.
“No it doesn’t work like that. I think we all know we’re in a results business,” insisted Moores, when asked if he had been given assurances over his position. “Tom Harrison and Colin Graves have come in and Tom has been great since he’s been here. For me I’m just focusing on what’s in front of us. We’ve got a couple of practice games and we go straight into the Test series and we don’t need to go any further than that.
“It’s as simple as that, it’s about winning games of cricket for England. If there’s a message from that we’d like everybody to keep things simple. To win games you have to play attacking cricket with discipline and skill and be totally committed and that’s what we’re going to try to do in the West Indies.”
Related: Jason Gillespie: Joe Root is ready to lead England … he would embrace itRelated: Jason Gillespie: Joe Root is ready to lead England … he would embrace it
After phone conversations with Graves, the 34-year-old then arranged to skip the bulk of the Indian Premier League and sign a deal to play four-day cricket for Surrey in the hope of forcing his way back in.
Cook is understood to be against Pietersen playing for England again and is adamant that Graves, the chief executive Tom Harrison and the managing director Paul Downton, are the men to ask about it. “I’m a long way away from that decision,” Cook said. “It’s down to Paul, Tom and Colin.
“It’s not down to us. We’ve got 16 guys going to West Indies who are desperate to start turning round English cricket from what’s happened over the last three months. We need to get back to winning ways and it’s about a brand of cricket and trying to win this series. It’s about 16 guys and the support staff. The ECB will have to deal with everything else. [Pietersen] is for ECB hierarchy to deal with.”
Moores, who saw his first spell as the England coach end in January 2009 after a breakdown of his working relationship with Pietersen, would not be drawn on his views on the basis it would detract from the squad heading out to face West Indies. “Kevin isn’t on the radar – he can’t be in mine or Cooky’s focus at all,” he said. “It’s not about me getting personal, it’s about the focus of an England team.”
The pressure on the duo increased last week when Graves, who does not start his role until May, claimed West Indies were a “mediocre” side and “there would be inquiries” should England fail to return from the Caribbean with a series win under their belt.
But Moores, who was lucky to survive a dismal World Cup campaign in which his side exited at the group stage, believes he can look only to the next three Tests, starting in Antigua on 13 April. “It doesn’t work like that,” said Moores, when asked if he had been told his job would hinge on the next five weeks. “We’re in a results business. Tom and Colin have come in. Tom has been great. I’m focusing on what’s in front of us. We’ve got new players in and Jonathan Trott back.”
Cook dismissed Graves’ assessment and maintains West Indies will provide stern opposition at the start of a run of 17 Test matches in just over eight months. “Anyone who has got to cross the line and face 90mph bowling from the likes of Kemar Roach will have a different view,” he said. “The team has a different view to that. Any series requires a huge amount of skill to win it. It’s irrelevant to us. We’re there to take wickets and score runs.”