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Kevin Pietersen has arrived back in London to face a barrage of criticism over the events that led to him resigning as England cricket captain and have left the national team in disarray at the start of an Ashes year.

The star batsman, who had been on holiday in his native South Africa, needed a police escort to enable him to negotiate his way past a waiting scrum of photographers and cameramen at Heathrow Airport.

The 28-year-old made no comment before slipping away in a black car but there was no shortage of former players willing to issue their verdicts on the drama that led to both Pietersen and England's head coach Peter Moores losing their jobs on Wednesday.

Moores was dismissed while Pietersen was left with no option but to resign after the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) made it clear that he would otherwise be sacked following his decision to issue a "it's him or me" ultimatum over the future of the coach, with whom he has never seen eye-to-eye.

Pietersen may have got his way if he had been seen to be speaking on behalf of all the players. But the appointment of Andrew Strauss as his replacement with a brief to "restore the dressing room unity" made it clear that the ECB did not believe that to be the case.

Nasser Hussain, one of Pietersen's predecessors as captain, said the fiasco could not have occurred at a worse time with England just weeks away from a tour of the West Indies and Australia due here to defend the Ashes later in the year.

"It's surprising how English cricket continues to shoot itself in the foot just before an Ashes series," Hussain said.

While insisting the ECB should have known exactly what to expect when they gave Pietersen the job last year, the former skipper said Pietersen had completely misjudged the extent of his power.

"Pietersen has learned the hard way that he can't just go through his career taking people on," he said. "As England captain, you need savvy, to be streetwise and politically astute. You have to choose the right time to pick your fights, and this was not the right time."

Hussain said Pietersen had also erred by not cutting short his holiday.

"You can't just sit on safari in South Africa and issue ultimatums to the board about the England cricket captaincy. It is far too important for that."

Another former captain, Michael Atherton, said he had always expected Pietersen's reign to end in tears.

"Nobody has come out of this well," argued Atherton, now the cricket correspondent of The Times. "The ECB's judgment in appointing Moores as quickly as they did will be questioned. So will Pietersen's judgment in how he has dealt with Moores."

Allan Lamb, like Pietersen a South Africa-born batsman who played for England, said the row had made English cricket look ridiculous.

"We are a laughing stock at the moment, we are a total shambles... and Pietersen is to blame for that."

Ex-England batsman Graham Thorpe said Pietersen's headstrong character had proved his downfall and questioned whether the batsman could continue to play for England.

"The way he has gone about this has been counter-productive, and he has presented England with a massive problem," Thorpe said.

"However good you are, you can't create this kind of situation as people will start asking which side you are on - the team's or your own?"

There was greater sympathy for Pietersen from two of the legends of the English game, Ian Botham and Geoff Boycott.

Both said the "chinless wonders" at the ECB should be blamed "for the farce that has turned English cricket into a laughing stock."

Boycott said he would understand if Pietersen decided to turn his back on English cricket and take the money on offer in the Indian Premier League (IPL).

"The ECB knew what they were getting with KP, but he has put the executive committee's noses out of joint with his demands," Boycott said. "Their egos have got in the way of common-sense. I wouldn't blame him if he played every year in the IPL."

Here is Pietersen's resignation statement in full:

'Contrary to media speculation today, I wish to make it very clear that I did not resign as captain of the England cricket team this morning.

However, in light of recent communications with the ECB, and the unfortunate media stories and speculation that have subsequently appeared, I now consider that it would be extremely difficult for me to continue in my current position with the England cricket team.

Accordingly, I have as of this afternoon decided to stand down as England captain with immediate effect.

Notwithstanding my resignation as England captain, I still fully intend to be a part of both England's Test and One Day International squad to tour the West Indies next month and to do all I can to recapture the Ashes during the summer.

I wish to add that I have principles in my professional and personal life as to how things are done and during my time as England captain I have always been both helpful and direct in my communications with the ECB.

At no time, contrary to press speculation, have I released any unauthorised information to the media regarding my relationships with the players, coaches and the ECB itself.

I am extremely sad and disappointed to have to relinquish the captaincy at such an early stage, especially in a crucial year for English cricket, in such circumstances and particularly when I feel that I have much more to offer the England team as captain.

However, this decision will not affect my determination to continue playing international cricket for England, doing all I can to win matches for the team and supporting whoever captains the team in the future.'

AFP