Kevin Pietersen knows a thing or two about how a bad Ashes can end careers. Although his final dismissal from the England squad was seen as a culmination of multiple events in the years leading up to it, the fact remains that the management pulled the plug on him after they received a 5-0 drubbing in the 2013/14 Ashes. Another casualty of that tour was then-head coach Andy Flower, with whom Pietersen had a tumultuous working relationship. However, the 45-year-old has now said that maybe it is time that Flower returned to the role after England’s 4-1 defeat to Australia in the 2025/26 Ashes.
“This is a WILD thought. I reckon one of my wildest,” Pietersen posted. “Can England bring back Andy Flower now that he’s changed and in line with the modern day player? He gets Test Cricket. I’ve been told by many players that he’s changed his ways since our drama. He’s winning leagues so really does get the modern day player. VERY IMPORTANT! Wild, I know! Thoughts?”
Pietersen’s post comes amid uncertainty over the future of England’s current head coach Brendon McCullum. The England and Wales Cricket Board announced a “thorough review” of a campaign in which the players have been accused of ill discipline at various levels. England’s decision to not play any proper practice game in Australia before the series was question throughout the duration of the Ashes, with the number of catches they dropped being seen as a symptom of poor preparation. Their mid-series trip to Noosa, a beach town, and rumours of a drinking culture within the team have also come up. All if it was only exacerbated by the emergence of news that star batter Harry Brook had got into an altercation with a bouncer outside a club during England’s ODI series in New Zealand that preceded the Ashes.
“We will take many lessons from this tour and are determined to improve quickly. Our focus is on regaining the Ashes in 2027. A thorough review of the campaign is already underway. This will cover tour planning and preparation, individual performance and behaviours, and our ability to adapt and respond effectively as circumstances require,” said ECB chief executive Richard Gould in his statement.
