Former batsman Kevin Pietersen has implored England to remember the role ex-director of cricket Andrew Strauss played en route to triumph in Sunday’s victory over New Zealand in the World Cup final.

Strauss was appointed to the role in 2015 and resigned three years later, but effectively laid the groundwork for captain Eoin Morgan and others to prove victorious during the 2019 World Cup.

‘Please remember that Strauss had a huge influence over this team’s win. Him and Eoin paved the way to play this aggressive brand and also back the players in failure,’ tweeted Pietersen.

‘They talked the talk & walked the walk. Glory be to cricket in the UK.’

Strauss’ successor Ashley Giles, meanwhile, has defended Sunday’s controversial victory at Lord’s in London.

England were awarded the title on the back of a superior boundary count, after the scores were tied after 100 overs and the Super Over ended in a deadlock.

Their victory has since been questioned, especially after former international umpire Simon Taufel insisted the deflection off all-rounder Ben Stokes’ bat should have yielded five runs, not six.

‘You could argue the last ball that Trent Boult bowled was a full toss on leg stump and if Stokes hadn’t just been looking for two, he probably would’ve banged it out of the ground anyway,’ said Giles.

‘We are world champions. We have got the trophy and we intend to keep it.’

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