Former batsman Kevin Pietersen has accused England of not knowing which direction they want to go in.

England have thrived in white-ball cricket over the last two years, rising to the top of the one-day rankings while also being a force in the Twenty20 format.

But their Test form has slumped, losing the winter’s Ashes 4-0 and suffering a 1-0 defeat in New Zealand before being held to a draw against Pakistan in home conditions.

Pietersen said: “I don’t know which direction they want to go in. We won a T20 World Cup, we won the Ashes home and away, we beat India in India a few years ago.

“England haven’t won a 50-over World Cup, I know that was the message a few years ago to do that and you can see they are driving towards that World Cup in England next summer, at the detriment of Test cricket. I think it’s sad and frustrating for us as players who have played over 100 Test matches.

“The public care a lot more about Test match cricket than they do about the shorter form of the game.”