SHOCK FOR ENGLAND:PIETERSEN THE CAPTAIN & COACH MOORES RESIGNED

England cricket has been hit with yet another crisis after Kevin Pietersen and Peter Moores on Wednesday resigned as captain and coach, respectively.Sky News said Pietersen decided to step down after his relationship with Moores had reached the breaking point."...it now appears Pietersen's relationship with Moores has reached breaking point, prompting him to stand down as captain," the report said.Other media reports said Moores too had put in his papers after last night's teleconference of the England and Wales Cricket Board.The teleconference was held by the 12-man board to discuss a solution for the much-public spat between the coach and the captain. In fact, ECB sources had been quoted by the local English media on Tuesday as saying that both Pietersen and Moores could be axed for their much-public spat.The ECB has not yet confirmed the resignation of both Pietersen and Moores.However, sources say that Pietersen is believed to have been in touch with Graham Ford, who is being tipped to take over as England coach. It was Ford who reportedly told Pietersen to step down as captain to concentrate on his batting.Pietersen, who has been mentored by Ford when playing for Natal in the 1990s, is known to have sought his views about the captaincy issue and if he is available as England coach.

It is known that Pietersen is regularly in touch with Ford and Duncan Fletcher about technical advice.It is believed that Pietersen was hoping Ford would agree to become coach. But it is suggested that when Ford said he didn't want the post, he told Pietersen that with the Ashes a year ahead, it would make sense for him to concentrate in his batting and forget the captaincy.
There has been growing criticism of the ECB in the whole issue as well. Instead of allowing Hugh Morris to handle the issue in his role of managing director of cricket, he was asked to wait for an ECB meeting which exacerbated the problem.The working relationship between Pietersen and Moores broke down after the coach, as part of the selection panel, ignored former captain Michael Vaughan for the West Indies tour against Pietersen's wish.Their equation, however, had soured much earlier as Pietersen reportedly had no professional respect for Moores, whom he considered pretty mediocre as a coach.England and Wales Cricket Board had entrusted Managing Director Huge Morris to broker peace between the feuding duo and Pietersen himself was keen to solve the issue before leaving for the west Indies.

"This situation is not healthy, we have to make sure it is settled as soon as possible and certainly before wee fly off to the West Indies," Pietersen had told from South Africa where he is holidaying. He will return to England on Thursday.With Pietersen's exit, England will have to select a third captain for the team in five months time. Andrew Strauss is the favourite to succeed Pietersen. For the coach's job, while South African Graham Ford is tipped to take over, former England spinner Ashley Giles may be given the job as a stop-gap arrangement for the Caribbean tour.