England turn to SAS to help bring sense of perspective

The England and Wales Cricket Board have used a former SAS soldier to help Kevin Pietersen's side cope with what is sure to be one of the most exhausting and potentially lucrative 12 months of cricket England have played.

During the winter England play Test and one-day series in India and the Caribbean. The 2009 summer begins with the visit of Sri Lanka but the highlights however, are the inaugural Twenty20 World Cup, which is closely followed by the much-awaited battle for the Ashes. The show starts in just over three weeks in Antigua when England take on Sir Allen Stanford's All-Star XI in the most lucrative match in cricket history, the Twenty20 for $20m game.

"We [the England winter touring squads] had a get together in Henley last week and we talked about what the next 12 months are about," said Luke Wright, the Sussex all-rounder. "We have some big games coming up and a guy from the SAS came along to try and help us tackle with it all. He talked about the pressures of being in the Army and dealing with life and death, something a lot more important than cricket. We will try and enjoy the Stanford game and see what happens, but there is a bigger picture."

Giles Clarke, the chairman of the ECB, remains confident the Stanford match will go ahead despite a row between the West Indies Cricket Board and Digicel, the WICB's principle sponsors. The disagreement, which is expected to receive a High Court ruling this week, centres on branding with Stanford refusing Digicel any presence at the game. Digicel believe that Stanford's side is, in all but name, a West Indies team. The row has put the game under threat although it could take place as an unauthorised match. Such a ruling would cause huge embarrassment to the ECB who are trying to prevent such events as the ICL taking place.

Duncan Fletcher, the former England coach, is set to return to coaching with Hampshire.

Mark Ramprakash was yesterday banned from Surrey's first two County Championship matches of the 2009 season and fined £1500 for using crude and abusive language to an umpire. Ramprakash became involved in a verbal altercation with Sussex's Murray Goodwin during a championship match this summer.

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