Cricket: Cook ridicules Pietersen's bullying claims

England's captain Alistair Cook said there had been occasions when players overstepped the mark. Photo / AP

England captain Alastair Cook has broken his silence after revelations from Kevin Pietersen's autobiography to say the resulting furore has "tarnished" the successful era of captain Andrew Strauss and coach Andy Flower.

Pietersen's book KP: The Autobiography was released last week and the former England batsman, who was sacked amid huge controversy in February, made several media appearances following the expiry of a confidentiality agreement with the England and Wales Cricket Board.

In the book he alleged the England dressing-room was beset by a culture of bullying and he reserved special condemnation for Flower and the wicketkeeper and former vice-captain Matt Prior.

Yesterday Cook told the BBC: "I am very proud of the era I have played in.

"To play under Andrew Strauss, to have played under Andy Flower as coach, I have only got respect for these guys," he added. "I do believe that era has been tarnished, and I am sad about that."

Cook said there had been occasions when players overstepped the mark.

"International cricket is a tough place and as a team you are striving for excellence at all times," he said. "Certainly at some stages those frustrations probably boiled over more than they should have done. But that was only people desperate to succeed and wanting to know the other 10 blokes around them were committed 100 per cent to them.

"Did it over step the mark a couple of times? Possibly, but we addressed those issues - this is something that always happens in teams. It certainly wasn't a 'bullying environment' at all in my eyes."

Pietersen claimed Flower had allowed the "bullying" culture to develop and described him as "contagiously sour".

Pietersen's criticisms of Prior, who he described as "back-stabbing", came as a huge surprise to Cook. "That was probably the biggest shock for me," said Cook.

"He is a great man who has been a fantastic servant for English cricket."

- The Independent