Kevin Pietersen was axed from the England team due to the need for everyone to be able "to trust each other" and support captain Alastair Cook, the England and Wales Cricket Board has revealed.
Pietersen confirmed his England career was over on Tuesday after it was announced he would not be in the squads for the tour of the Caribbean and the ICC World Twenty20.
The ECB had been at great pains to make only the most careful public comment about the reasons for Pietersen's dismissal, prompting calls for transparency including from former England captains Ian Botham and Michael Vaughan.
And a statement issued jointly by the ECB and the Professional Cricketers' Association on Sunday evening read: "The ECB recognises the significant contribution Kevin has made to England teams over the last decade. He has played some of the finest innings ever produced by an England batsman.
"However, the England team needs to rebuild after the whitewash in Australia. To do that we must invest in our captain Alastair Cook and we must support him in creating a culture in which we can be confident he will have the full support of all players, with everyone pulling in the same direction and able to trust each other. It is for those reasons that we have decided to move on without Kevin Pietersen."
The ECB statement raises further questions about the whole episode, with speculation inevitable regarding the reasons for the organisation's lack of trust in Pietersen.
Specific details were conspicuous by their absence, bound by the existence of a confidentiality agreement.
The statement also read: "It has been a matter of great frustration that until now the England and Wales Cricket Board has been unable to respond to the unwarranted and unpleasant criticism of England players and the ECB itself.
"It is important to stress that Andy Flower, Alastair Cook and Matt Prior, who have all been singled out for uninformed and unwarranted criticism, retain the total confidence and respect of all the other members of the Ashes party."
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