Swann: book is ‘biggest work of fiction since Jules Verne’Prior ‘fought tooth and nail’ to keep Pietersen in side

Kevin Pietersen’s explosive claims that Andy Flower tolerated a culture of “mocking, bullying and ridicule” within the England dressing room have prompted the game’s hierarchy to close ranks around the former national coach.

In Pietersen’s long awaited book, released to the media on Monday after his confidentiality clause with the England and Wales Cricket Board expired, the batsman claims that the behaviour of a clique led by the wicketkeeper Matt Prior and bowlers including James Anderson and Stuart Broad was akin to workplace bullying. “They ran an exclusive club. If you were outside that clique, you were fair game for mocking, ridicule, bullying. That’s what those guys did,” he said.

Graeme Swann, who Pietersen said was a member of a bullying clique that so traumatised one young player that he was reluctant to field, was the first to hit back calling it “the biggest work of fiction since Jules Verne”.

Pietersen also claims that he was made a scapegoat for England’s 5-0 defeat in Australia in 2013-14, after which the selectors axed him from the national side, and heavily criticises the ECB hierarchy for failing to spot the problems earlier.

“I was left feeling isolated and bullied but nobody seemed too bothered as long as I did my performing seal routine when I went out to bat,” writes Pietersen.

Swann said Pietersen appeared to have targeted those no longer in a position to influence his possible return for England. “I immediately realised it was codswallop when I read the character assassination of Matt Prior,” said Swann, speaking at a grassroots cricket awards lunch at Lord’s. “Tragically I don’t think Kev realises the one person who fought tooth and nail to keep him in the side is the one person he is now assassinating: Matt Prior.”

Pietersen’s most vitriolic criticism is reserved for Flower, called a “mood hoover”, and Prior, who is lambasted as “backstabbing” and bullying. The pair were once close but Pietersen mocks his former friend for referring to himself in the third person as “the Big Cheese” or just “the Cheese” and belittling junior members of the squad.

“A clique choked our team and Andy Flower let that clique grow like a bad weed,” writes Pietersen in KP: The Autobiography, saying it took hold from 2009 onwards.

Perhaps fittingly given the centrality of technology to many of the controversies in the book, from the parody Twitter account that angered Pietersen to the text message exchanges with South Africa players that led to his expulsion from the squad in 2012, followed by his “reintegration”, Prior responded by tweeting. “Obvs sad to see the accusations against me this am and I will have my right of reply,” Prior wrote. “However today is not the day and Twitter is not the place for it! Now back to my Achilles rehab and learning to walk again!”

Chris Tremlett was one former team-mate to come out in support of Pietersen, tweeting: “Glad @KP24 has finally been able to give his side of the story. People can now make an informed opinion of what went on in the dressing room.”

In vaguely shambolic scenes the ECB had not been given a copy of the book before it was released to the media and said it was therefore unable to comment. Their chairman, Giles Clarke, working on International Cricket Council business, confirmed he had yet to see a copy.

But the ECB managing director, Paul Downton, said there had been “no formal or informal complaint about bullying” during the period in question.

Several England players were understood to be angry with the portrayal of Prior and the ECB plans to examine the book to see if there was any basis for action on Flower’s behalf. The former Zimbabwe international stepped down as head coach in February following the Ashes debacle but has a new role in charge of England’s academy.

The war of words is likely to continue for several days, with the book being released to the public on Thursday and Pietersen planning a series of media appearances.

The former England captain Nasser Hussein said he always found the very public berating of fielders who dropped catches or made a mistake “a little bit odd” but said that Pietersen’s frustration was mainly born of cricketing failure.

“It was an exceptionally well led, well run cricket team that were achieving a lot. It tells you a lot about team spirit, which is always there when you’re winning but fades away when you’re losing,” he said. “All of this comes of losing that Ashes series 5-0. The respect had gone.”