England ‘happier’ under Flower than Moores: Pietersen by CricketArchive Staff Reporter

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Player:	KP Pietersen, A Flower, P Moores
Event:	Australia in British Isles 2009

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DateLine: 27th June 2009

 

Star England batsman Kevin Pietersen has said that England cricket was heading nowhere under Peter Moores until Andy Flower took up the coaches position.

 

The right-hander also said that the players are more confident to face the Australians in next month's Ashes series.

 

One of the major reasons of Pietersen’s stepping down from captaincy was his row with Moores six months back. The former skipper said England cricket has achieved enough under Flower and have left behind the "unhappy" days when they did not have much voice.

 

"The team wasn't happy (under Moores), things weren't right and England cricket was going nowhere. That's the reason I did what I did in January. But I believe in the last six months the team has made big progress before a huge, huge series against Australia. I'm very happy, and everyone's happy," Pietersen said.

 

"We've seen how Andy Flower has settled into his job and how well Straussy (Andrew Strauss) is doing. The team is so happy, everyone knows how excited we are, and how everyone's gelled," he was quoted as saying by a leading cricket website.

 

Pietersen indicated that players did not have much say when Moores was the coach and this affected the dressing room atmosphere.

 

"If things hadn't changed, I wouldn't have been as confident as I am now (about winning back the Ashes).

 

"This team has done well enough in the last six months to challenge Australia. I'm not going to say we are going to win, I'm just going to say we'll be alright.

 

"It's about the way we've played, the happiness in the dressing room, and the way the players have had a voice, and how they've wanted to go about doing things. It hasn't just been one voice, but a collective among the management committee," Pietersen said.

 

"There were a lot of players who weren't happy, and a lot of captains who weren't happy as well. Both Andy’s have been absolutely fantastic, and to all the players, they have all bought into it, and made sure we're a happy dressing-room whether we win or we lose."