Strauss has to stem the rot soon

Out with the old, and in with the old. More a hostile new year than a happy one for English cricket. Peter Moores was sacked as England coach, the captain Kevin Pietersen was forced to resign and, amid the maelstrom, Andrew Strauss suddenly found himself parachuted into Pietersen's position as some sort of tried and trusted hired hand.

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) hope the opening batsman Strauss can openly bring a sense of tranquility that was lacking under the leadership of Pietersen and Moores before England fly to the West Indies on Jan 21. The stench from the bonfire that saw Moores and Pietersen go up in flames on Wednesday continued to rage yesterday when Strauss addressed a British press apoplectic with rage over the conduct of Pietersen, and his alleged run-ins with Moores.

An ill-wind is blowing through the England squad, and it has been so strong that it is little wonder Old Father Time was not blown off his perch atop of Lord's this week. In time, Strauss may soothe the ills, but yesterday he seemed to be a fireman trying to repel a forest fire with a bucket of water. It is unclear if he will continue to captain the one-day or the Twenty20 side, but his credibility or suitability for those roles must be a point of some debate.

They like their fallguys in England. Build 'em up to knock 'em down has always been fashionable in sport in the UK. The chance to bring down a national hero (think David Beckham or Paul Gascoigne in football, or even Andrew Flintoff) is in itself a national hobby. Pietersen, a headstrong sort of figure, seems to have flitted into that role with as much haste as he can construct a century. Depending on who you believe, the whole steaming plot seems to carry as much intensity as the Night of the Long Knives.

Pietersen did not agree with Moores on several issues, including selection and training methods. Moores failed to deliver much in his two-year reign. Pietersen himself came in for criticism for not failing to defend a total of 387 against India in the first Test in Chennai. "This has become an impossible situation given the irretrievable breakdown of the relationship between captain and coach," said Hugh Morris, the managing director of the ECB.

"The most hated man in cricket" was how only English newspaper elected to describe him, but a few other organs got well into the theme of hammering Pieterson. According to several commentators, Pietersen's ego got the better of him. The former England batsman Graham Thorpe told one newspaper that he believes Pietersen's place in the team could be in jeopardy. The ECB apparently told Pietersen he would be sacked if he did not resign. He was effectively dismissed for his posturing. The state of the squad and how keen they remain on Pietersen as a colleague could be decisive in shaping England's momentum, especially in an Ashes year.

Strange as it may sound, a man with a batting average of more than 50 in Tests, could face a fight to safeguard his future. [e-mail]