Moores row saved team spirit - Pietersen

Six months on from his resignation as England captain, Kevin Pietersen believes that the England dressing-room is a much healthier place for the blood-letting that took place during his spectacular falling-out with the former coach, Peter Moores. As a consequence he is quietly optimistic about the team's hopes of regaining the Ashes in the coming series against Australia.

Back in January, Pietersen was forced to resign from a role he had held for barely five months, after details of a confidential email to the ECB was leaked to the media, in which he called for the removal of Moores as head coach, as well as a root-and-branch reform of England's team management structure. For a time the atmosphere within the squad was poisonous, as evidenced by their spectacular collapse to 51 all out in the decisive first Test against West Indies in Kingston one month later.

Now, however, the mood within the squad could scarcely be more different, and on the eve of England's departure for a pre-Ashes bonding session, Pietersen spoke of the upbeat attitude ahead of the first Test in Cardiff on July 8. "The team is so happy, everyone knows how excited we are, and how everyone's gelled," he said during a Vodafone sponsors' event in Essex. "We've seen how Andy Flower has settled into his job and how well Straussy [Andrew Strauss] is doing.

"That's the reason I did what I did in January. The team wasn't happy, things weren't right and England cricket was going nowhere. But I believe in the last six months the team has made big progress before a huge, huge series against Australia. I'm very happy, and everyone's happy."

If Pietersen's version of events contained a touch of revisionism, then the main thrust of his argument was unmistakeable. Under Moores' dogmatic guidance, he felt that England's players had not been permitted enough of a say in the day-to-day running of team affairs, but with Flower and Strauss at the helm, all such problems have dissipated.

"If things hadn't changed, I wouldn't have been as confident as I am now [about winning back the Ashes]," he added. "This team has done well enough in the last six months to challenge Australia. I'm not going to say we are going to win, I'm just going to say we'll be alright. It's about the way we've played, the happiness in the dressing room, and the way the players have had a voice, and how they've wanted to go about doing things. It hasn't just been one voice, but a collective among the management committee.

"Everybody can see the progress we've made," said Pietersen. "It wasn't just about January either. There were a lot of players who weren't happy, and a lot of captains who weren't happy as well. So fair dos to both Andys, they've been absolutely fantastic, and to all the players, they have all bought into it, and made sure we're a happy dressing-room whether we win or we lose."

That spirit was clearly demonstrated during the World Twenty20, when England bounced back from the humiliation of losing their opening fixture against Netherlands to win in style against Pakistan and India. "It was horrible to watch that match really," said Strauss, who sat out the tournament. "To be fair, that could have been quite a big moment in the context of the summer if we didn't come back from that, but what really encouraged me was that the guys had two die-or-die fixtures against India and Pakistan and won them both."

Now all the focus is on England's biggest challenge of the summer, and for Pietersen, who says he is now pain-free after the Achilles problems that have hampered his season, the prospect of renewing his rivalry with Australia is tantalising.

"A series like this grabs all your attention, and you can't be thinking about anything else other than what's coming now. But as professional sportsmen at the top of our games, it's something we should thrive on and enjoy. Challenges like this come along every two or three years against Australia, and South Africa at the end of the year will be just as tough. You've got to go out and enjoy them, you can't wimp out of them."

"I think whoever plays the best cricket over the 25 days will win the series," he added. "I think we've got a good chance, but I don't believe for one second that Australia are not as good a team without the likes of Warne and Gilchrist because their strength in depth is pretty good. It's going to be very tough series, not easy at all. People say they are ripe for the taking and stuff, but I'm sure they'll be a force to be reckoned with."