Andy Flower urges fans not to desert England

With five one-day internationals still to play against their discredited opponents, England fear ending their summer in front of empty stadiums as the effect of too much cricket and Pakistan's spot-fixing scandal begins to tell.

England coach Flower shares the home fans' pain, admitting this summer's success on the field has been marred by events off it but he insists his players deserve their fans' support ahead of the Ashes.

"None of us want to see small crowds but we don't know what the attendances will be like at the one‑dayers yet," he said.

"Hopefully the English cricketing public will come and support their team. There's inevitably a bit of a gloomy atmosphere at the moment and with the sullying of cricket's name and reputation that's understandable. It's a pity because we are playing some outstanding cricket. We have won two games comfortably and for the skills of the bowlers in particular to be overshadowed so completely is sad."

Meanwhile, Kevin Pietersen's desperate bid to recapture form ahead of this winter's Ashes has stepped up a gear after he has agreed a loan deal with KwaZulu Natal in his native South Africa.

England's out-of-favour batsman will return to Durban in October for a 10-day stint which will see him play two four-day games against North West and Eastern Province. Pietersen was heckled and barracked from the stands when England last played at Kings Park in December last year but is expecting a warmer welcome when he returns next month.

"I'm extremely keen to get as much cricket as possible under my belt before a challenging winter," Pietersen said. "My sole focus is to continue playing a leading role for England and joining Natal is the perfect opportunity to prepare in excellent conditions."

The deal was sanctioned by Cricket South Africa's chief executive Gerald Majola this morning.