Assistant Coach Refuses Blame on Distractions

England's assistant coach Andy Flower has refused to blame outside distractions for the embarrassing defeat by the West Indies in the first cricket Test in Jamaica.

England were humbled inside four days after they were shot out for just 51, their lowest total in Test history, by a West Indies side they were supposed to dominate.

The defeat completed a wretched five weeks for England following the axing of head coach Peter Moores and ‘resignation' of captain Kevin Pietersen because of personal differences.

The defeat also came the day after Pietersen and star all-rounder Andrew Flintoff, both former users of Woodworm cricket equipment, were auctioned off for £1.1 million each to play in this year's Indian Premier League tournament.

England certainly played like a side whose thoughts were elsewhere as they collapsed against paceman Jerome Taylor and rookie left-arm spinner Sulieman Benn as former Zimbabwe batsman Flower conceded.

"There might be an element of truth in that but in the end sportsmen have to deal with the challenge we're given," said Flower, following the innings and 23-run defeat at Sabina Park.

"And we have been given the challenge of a four-Test tour in West Indies. We failed the test in the first Test but there are three Tests left and we can do something about it.

"It is going to be really difficult to come back from one down but we have done it before and we have to play great cricket.

"What happened before was not ideal preparation for any tour but we have to deal with that.
"As far as our second innings goes, I don't think it had anything to do with it. It is all of our jobs to do something about this now and if we don't we will be out of here."

England will have an early opportunity to recover from the Sabina Park debacle as the second test begins in Antigua on Friday and Flower said that he expected to see a positive reaction.

"The group we have got work very well together," insisted Flower. "If you get 25 people in an office you are going to have the odd ruction.

"The same goes in a sports team. As far as there being disunity in the camp, it's simply not true.

"We had a brief chat in the changing room afterwards, not so much hard words.

"There is a time in which we need to reflect on what's happened.

"And also for the learning of the players and the coaching staff, it is a good reflection time. Players have been talking amongst themselves today and there is a lot of hurt and a lot of learning which go together.

"Playing for your country is a very proud moment for anyone, they are not only playing for themselves, their career and a team, they are playing for the people that came out here to watch them.

"So to have a performance like that, where they subsided, was very disappointing.

"The important thing is we become stronger from it. We have got to think that way.

"It has happened, it was horrible and we have to look forward."