England stars are loose on the drive

ENGLAND’S cricketers are following the example of the banished Kevin Pietersen in snubbing the sponsors in their choice of transport to the Tests.

You wouldn’t know that Toyota are the official suppliers to the England team judging by the vehicles in the players’ car parking area at Headingley yesterday.

There were only two Toyotas — one belonging to captain Alastair Cook — but four Range Rovers — three driven by Joe Root, Ben Stokes and Stuart Broad — as well as three Mercedes.

Previous sponsors Jaguar, who had it written into the seven-figure contract that players drove to and from international matches in their vehicles, were furious that Pietersen was the one player not to do so. He preferred to drive a Range Rover.

Pietersen’s decision to do his own thing — so as to avoid a four-hour personal appearance in return for an £80,000 Jaguar — almost derailed the sponsorship.

Toyota, whose sponsorship was brought in to the ECB by an outside agency, do not have such terms included in their contract and the ECB said they are ‘relaxed’ about the players arriving in different cars. CHANNEL

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