Downton: I couldn't find one supporter who wanted Kevin to stay in the side

Cricket365
May 22, 2014

Managing director Paul Downton has expanded on the England and Wales Cricket Board's decision to, effectively, cut ties with batsman Kevin Pietersen.

England suffered a humiliating five-nil series defeat at the hands of Australia earlier this year, when Pietersen was ostensibly labelled as a disruptive presence among the squad.

Head coach Andy Flower, batting coach Graham Gooch and limited-overs coach Ashley Giles have also departed the ECB.

Lancashire's Peter Moores, meanwhile, has been hired as Flower's successor. Former Sri Lanka coach Paul Farbrace has been named as assistant coach – and Nottinghamshire's Mick Newell has been appointed to the selection panel.

"One of the huge issues after Australia was 'what are we going to do about Kevin?'. I was quite frustrated watching him as a fan, and there was a feeling he wasn't engaged as he should be as a senior player," Downton told </i>BBC Radio 5 Live's Test Match Special</i>.

"I then watched every ball of the Sydney Test live, and I've never seen anyone as disinterested or distracted as Kevin; it looked very strange. I talked to every person on the management team and quite a few senior players.

"I couldn't find one supporter who wanted Kevin to stay in the side. We spent the next three weeks working out what to do in the best interests of English cricket."

The South African-born Pietersen, who recently launched a cricket academy in the United Arab Emirates, is currently captaining the Delhi Daredevils in the seventh edition of the Indian Premier League. The Daredevils, though, have failed to qualify for the play-offs stage of the lucrative Twenty20 contest, in the wake of seven consecutive defeats.