Must England sack Moores to regain Ashes?

Graham Ford has thrust himself into the frame to succeed Peter Moores if the England head coach pays with his job for a split with Kevin Pietersen, the captain. The ECB board met last night as the dispute rumbled on and bookmakers installed Ford, who is believed to be Pietersen’s first choice, as clear favourite to take on the position.

However, while the role of Moores may be untenable, senior ECB figures are also unhappy at Pietersen’s failure to knock down stories when the differences became public. It is possible that he, too, could pay the price this week and, if he remains as captain, he may not get the coach he prefers.

Speaking from his cricket academy near Durban, Ford told The Times that he feels familiar with the structure of English cricket and would be confident of striking a happy working relationship with Pietersen. He has known the England captain since Pietersen was a schoolboy and later, despite being the South Africa coach, encouraged him to leave for England to further his career.

Ford, the Kent director of cricket, has not spoken to Pietersen or anyone from the ECB since reports of serious differences at the heart of the national team emerged last week. But he is well aware of speculation that at least one of Moores or Pietersen is likely to be stripped of his post before January 21, when England leave for their tour to the Caribbean.

Asked whether he would be interested in the job of head coach, Ford said: “I would certainly consider it. I have been within the system with Kent for the past four years and I feel part of it so, yes, it is something that would interest me.

“I am sure the hierarchy at the ECB are trying to sort things out positively and broker some sort of peace deal between Kevin and Peter.”

Kent will not stand in the way of his ambitions and Ford said: “I would like to think I could deal with Kevin and work with him. I did when he was a young fellow. He knows what I am about. I like to think it is a partnership that would work. We do have contact. On and off, when he is playing, he sends text messages.

“Probably the last time we spoke was when he was looking for information about some of the South African players during the series last summer. That is one of the exciting things about his captaincy — straight away he was very quick to source as much information as he could. I know he also chatted to Shaun Pollock and Dale Benkenstein.”

Ashley Giles may be asked to lead England in the Caribbean as a temporary measure and Warwickshire are discussing contingency plans should they lose their director of cricket in the build-up to the domestic season. This may include seeking a full-time replacement. Giles is thought to be reluctant to take on the England job as a stopgap.

Ford, 48, who like Pietersen hails from Pietermaritzburg, succeeded Bob Woolmer as the South Africa coach in 1999. He led them to a Test series win in India a year later, the first by any country since 1987. Allegations of match-fixing against Hansie Cronje then dominated South African cricket and Ford was viewed as a victim of internal politics when he was sacked in 2002.

In Pietersen’s autobiography, Ford recalls how the youngster was kept out of the college team by another off-spin bowler, finding his chance only when the family of the rival emigrated to New Zealand. Years later, at the turn of the decade, Ford appealed to Ali Bacher, the godfather of South African cricket, to allow Pietersen more opportunities at provincial level. Bacher, however, was committed to the quota system for non-white players.