Deposed England captain Kevin
Pietersen flew back into London this morning as his replacement, Andrew Strauss, faced the biggest challenge of his career with a brief to reunite a divided team that is the laughing stock of world cricket.

Pietersen, forced to quit after failing to get the support of all his team-mates over his row with coach Peter Moores, who was also axed yesterday, had a police escort as he walked through the arrivals lounge at Heathrow. He left by a side door, to be picked up by a black car, without making any comment to waiting reporters.

In a statement yesterday he confirmed that he felt his position as captain had become untenable and had to resign, but said he is still committed to the England team and will support the new skipper.

But the fact that Pietersen is clearly disliked by some England players, including Andrew Flintoff, makes Strauss's task of healing the rifts a testing one.

Nevertheless, this morning he was tipped to cope “magnificently well” with the huge task of putting England's divided cricket team back on track to win the Ashes this summer.

Strauss will lead his side to the Caribbean in a fortnight's time for four Tests followed by a series of limited-overs clashes and his county coach at Middlesex, Toby Radford, has identified the key task ahead for the new skipper.

He said: “Straussy will want to unite the guys and get everyone focusing on this trip to the Caribbean. He thinks before he speaks and will have the respect of all the players.”

There is no doubt Strauss is up for the job long-term after being overlooked twice before when first Flintoff and then Pietersen were promoted ahead of him.

“He will cope as he copes with everything, which is magnificently well,” said Shaun Udal, Strauss's former England colleague and now his captain at Middlesex.

“He's a very rounded individual and an extremely well- respected cricketer — and I think the word respect' is massively important. He will get it from the other players within the team. He was the only choice England could make.”

Ian Bell today said the squad were stunned that the row between Pietersen and Moores had led to them being axed.

The batsman said: “We are pretty shocked. We never really knew things were so bad. With captains and coaches, people will have their own ideas; there are always going to be conversations where people want their way and others want something slightly different. I was very shocked to see how fast it developed. It is really important now as a team that we get back together and back on track.”

Despite struggling in India, Bell is in the squad for the tour of the West Indies and he is delighted that Pietersen will be there too.

“He is the best player in the world —that is something you want in your team,” added Bell. “He is a match-winner who can turn things on their head and plays well under pressure.”

So far, England have only asked Strauss to lead the Test team in the Caribbean and have not stipulated whether he will stay in charge for the one-day internationals which follow.

Those details, together with identifying who will lead the coaching staff in the Caribbean while ECB bosses begin their search for a full-time successor to Moores, should be sorted out within the next 24 hours.