Words of Mother Teresa console Fletcher

LONDON, Feb 23 (Reuters) In the darkest moments of a grim Ashes campaign England coach Duncan Fletcher sought consolation in the words of Mother Teresa, the nun who devoted more than 60 years to the sick and dying in Calcutta.

''Mother Teresa said that when you are successful you win some unfaithful friends and some genuine enemies,'' he told reporters last week. ''I am quite philosophical about it. I will leave it at that.'' Such eloquence was unprecedented for the former Zimbabwe captain, who prefers to play the deadest of dead bats to the media. It also reflected his relief at England's unexpected resurgence when they appeared dead and buried in the one-day tri-series after losing the Ashes 5-0.

England, on the brink of elimination from the tournament with Australia and New Zealand and with their World Cup hopes apparently in tatters, won four matches in a row, including the first two in the best-of-three final against the hosts.

''You can't deny that four wins in a row, three against Australia, have lifted the side,'' Fletcher told reporters. ''They were solid performances. I believe there is still a huge improvement to be made. Hopefully they can produce that at the World Cup.'' Fletcher made his reputation in the one-day game, inspiring Zimbabwe with bat and ball to a famous World Cup victory over Australia in 1983.

Yet although he helped lift England from the bottom of the barrel in 1999 through to their 2005 Ashes triumph, the one-day team has steadily regressed in his time at the top.

Renowned for his meticulous planning in test cricket, Fletcher unwittingly revealed the corresponding lack of coherence in the one-day preparation when he added: ''I thought we were a year too early. Now I don't know where we are. Maybe we are six months too early.'' PIETERSEN RETURN English optimism in the two-month Caribbean carnival is sparked almost exclusively by the events of the past few weeks and the projected return of Kevin Pietersen after injury.

Pietersen, with his flair for the unorthodox, is the one England player who would be an automatic selection for a world one-day XI.

With Andrew Flintoff, who was liberated by the return of Michael Vaughan as captain in the tri-series, and Paul Collingwood, player-of-the-series with two centuries and a 70, England have a strong middle-order.

Ian Bell has become more assertive at number three and Ed Joyce took advantage of two dropped chances to score a fine century against Australia in the tri-series at opener.

The problems come at the top and the bottom. Vaughan, who will open, is clearly superior to Flintoff as a captain but does not reproduce his test form in one-day cricket. He is also increasingly injury prone after a second operation on his right knee.

Jamie Dalrymple looks short of class both as a batsman and off spin bowler and although Paul Nixon was competent with the gloves, and apparently more than competent with the verbal abuse, he offers no more with the bat than Chris Read, a more skilled keeper.

Flintoff and Monty Panesar aside, the bowling is inconsistent.

England have also gambled by naming injured players, including Vaughan (hamstring), James Anderson (back) and Jon Lewis (left ankle).

England's first big match will be against New Zealand, one spot higher in the International Cricket Council rankings and full of confidence after whitewashing Australia this week.

A win over the Kiwis in the first round in St Lucia would give England two valuable points for the super eight stage.

Reuters AY DB1001