England axe Kevin Peterson for the Ashes!

In the span of three days Andrew Strauss sacked Peter Moores the England coach and excluded the highest international run-scorer in England’s history, without even officially starting the job.

Andrew Strauss speaking for the first time since his England and Wales Cricket board appointment and after the sacking of head coach Peter Moores said:

Kevin Pietersen will not play for England this summer after newly appointed director of cricket Andrew Strauss said there was a “massive trust issue” between the two.

The 34-year old Kevin Pietersen, sacked by England in February 2014, but is playing county cricket in a bid to return to test team, recorded a timely career-best, has not been banned from future England action, but would not be considered until after the summer’s home Ashes series against Australia.

.Pietersen will not be selected in “short-term”, although he was offered consultancy role to ODI side, which was rejected, Alastair Cook remains Test captain, Joe Root replaces Ian Bell as vice-captain, Eoin Morgan remains ODI captain, with “more separation” between the ODI and Test sides

“The truth about Kevin is that he is a phenomenal cricketer. But over months and years, trust has eroded between Kevin Pietersen and the ECB.

“There is a massive trust issue between me and Kevin.

“While there is no trust between Kevin and the ECB, it is our opinion he cannot feature in our short-term plans. Long-term, who knows?”

Speaking on Monday, before his meeting with Strauss, Pietersen said he was “desperate” to return to the international game, adding: “Personal differences have got nothing to do with what the public wants. The public just wants to see the England team winning.

“What more can I do? All I can do is score runs. I’m incredibly proud of how I played under pressure.”

Pietersen reduced his Indian Premier League commitments this year to play for Surrey after incoming ECB chairman Colin Graves suggested an international return might be possible. were to score runs in domestic cricket.

But Strauss’s assertion that the South Africa-born batsman will not be considered for selection could signal the end of a career that took in 8,181 runs and 23 centuries in 104 Tests.

Pietersen last played for England in the final Test of a 5-0 Ashes series defeat in Australia in January 2014.

He was sacked a month later and released an autobiography in October criticising several players, saying there was a “bullying culture” in the squad.

In July 2014, Strauss apologised for making an offensive remark about his former team-mate during a live television broadcast.

ECB chief executive Tom Harrison echoed Strauss’s opinion on Pietersen.

“All I can add to what Andrew said is that we are aligned on the decision; myself, Andrew and Colin Graves.

“It has been a tricky issue that has been interpreted in different ways by different people.

“We are taking this as a chance to move forward with a new leadership with a real excitement about where English cricket can go.”

In his Daily Telegraph column titled ‘My Fury at England deceit‘, Pietersen stated that he was devastated by the news that his international career was over for the second time after his hopes of an England recall were brought to a close. “I have never hidden my determination to once again represent England and having played one of the best innings of my career, I must admit I was riding the crest of a wave.Yet it now looks clear that Tom knew exactly what Strauss was going to tell me. I messaged Tom after the meeting and asked him why he got me into a hotel knowing precisely what I was going to be told and having already explicitly asked him if that was going to be the case. “You talk about trust,” I said. He simply replied: “I am sorry you feel that way, Kevin.”

Pietersen was given assurances by ECB chairman Colin Graves in March regarding his recall in to the Test team. In a radio interview, Graves said that a realistic chance for Pietersen to stake his claim for a place in the England team would be to play county cricket. The right-hander, who was snapped up by Sunrisers Hyderabad, opted out of IPL 2015 and the franchise was happy to release him. With these new developments, Pietersen is expected to come back for Sunrisers Hyderabad by the end of the week.

With Andrew Strauss , the new director of English cricket, Boycott said: “If that is the best that Tom Harrison, the chief executive, can come up with, God help us. Why? Because Cook calls him “Straussy”, they opened the innings together for a long time, are best mates, shared dressing rooms.

“So Cook will be safe and captain for ever, as will some other players Strauss played alongside. He is too close to so many of the current players to take an objective view. And if his comments on air about Kevin Pietersen last year are anything to go by, there is not a cat in hell’s chance of him returning.”

The right-hander pointed out that he was misled by everybody in the ECB management. “I went into the meeting expecting Strauss to say that Englands batting order is good at the moment but if I continued to score runs and if an injury occurred then I would be in contention to play. I would naturally have to earn my recall, but at least I would be eligible. But no. Quite simply, I feel deeply misled. Tom has tried to say that Colin Graves was misrepresented by the media when he said there was a way back for me.”

“I’m afraid, as everyone can clearly see, this is the biggest load of rubbish. I had two phone conversations with Colin Graves and he was crystal clear in saying I had to get a county, score runs and that there was a clean slate. He said that when he comes in as chairman he wants the best players playing for England. He told me that on the phone in two separate conversations. He also repeated it to national newspapers.”

Strauss had said that Pietersen was offered a role as an advisor to the ODI team. He wrote, “It is true that after telling me I did not have a future for England, Strauss offered me the chance to sit on his advisory panel. But I told him to forget it. How can he in one sentence say we cannot trust you and then in the next try and say we want you to be on a board because you have such a wonderful cricket brain?”

Pietersen stated that he would be travelling to India on Friday and it would give him a good chance to cool down and assess his future. “I’m just sorry it won’t be putting on an England shirt.”

Piers Morgan on BBC Radio 5 live: “I spoke to Kevin this morning and he’s incredibly upset, he believes he’s been deeply misled. Remove the personal, vindictive politics in the selection process and allow the best player to play for England again.”

England should pick players on form not on favour.

Pietersen’s Surrey team-mate Kumar Sangakkara: “In cricket it’s not about who you like, but who adds the most value to the team. Whether it’s the right or wrong decision remains to be seen with the future of English cricket.”