England told their jobs are on the line

CRICKET:THE ENGLAND team and their support staff have been warned that their jobs are on the line following the humiliation of their innings defeat at Sabina Park in which the tourists were bowled out for the third-lowest total in their history.

The blunt message came from Andy Flower, officially the team’s assistant coach but the man in charge of playing matters on the 10-week tour of the Caribbean.

Flower said yesterday: “As a team we’ve underperformed. And it’s all our jobs to do something about that. And if we don’t do it we’ll be out of jobs.”

Flower should know. It was only last month that Peter Moores, his good friend and the man who brought him into the backroom staff in May 2007, shortly after his own appointment, was fired. Kevin Pietersen lost his job as England captain on the same day. Pietersen, who had led England in just three Tests, had wanted both Moores and Flower removed from the coaching set-up, an ultimatum which cost him his position.

Flower was speaking on the day after one of England’s worst performances on a cricket field. They were bowled out for 51 runs after managing to bat for only two-and- a-half hours and were beaten by an innings and 23 runs.

The team is in turmoil after the first game of the new regime under the captain, Andrew Strauss, as they prepare for the second Test in Antigua which starts on Friday.

The former England coach Duncan Fletcher, in his Guardian column today, questions the spirit of the team and calls for changes, including ditching Ian Bell and Steve Harmison.

“The guys are very hurt about this,” said Flower. “Playing for your country is a very proud moment for anyone. They’re not just playing for their themselves and their careers and their team. They are also playing for their country and the people who came out here to watch them. It happened. It was horrible. Now we’ve got to learn something from it.”

The England management came the closest yet to admitting they were paying the price for the turmoil of the past few months.

Asked whether the aggregate of distractions and upheavals had had an effect on the mood and performance of the team, Flower admitted: “There might be an element of truth in that, I would say.

“What happened before was not ideal preparation for any tour. But we have to deal with that.”

However, Flower denied there was disunity in the camp.

“I’ve heard a bit of talk about disunity and whatever. And I can honestly say that the group of 25 people, or whatever we’ve got in this group, work very well together.

“If you have 25 people together in an office you will have the odd ruction, and the same goes for a sports team. But as far as there being disunity, that is simply untrue.”

GuardianService