Former England all-rounder Dominic Cork has criticised the ECB for failing to deal with the issues surrounding Kevin Pietersen and Peter Moores.

Hampshire's latest signing says England are a laughing stock following the departures of both captain Pietersen and coach Moores this morning.

Cork said: "This gets transmitted all round the world at the beginning of an important year, not just because of the Ashes but the World Twenty20 and a tour of the West Indies.

"This should have been sorted in-house. whether by [ECB chairman] Giles Clarke or [managing director] Hugh Morris. We're allowing English cricket to become a laughing stock again."

Cork admitted he had not expected Pietersen to go.

He said: "I'm shocked, this is just what England didn't need before an important tour of the West Indies."

Now the Hampshire all-rounder believes the ECB must turn to Andrew Flintoff.

"They went for KP because he makes the team in all forms, that's what you have to do to get stability in an international team," he said.

"That's why I'd go back to Andrew Flintoff. Whether he would take it I don't know.

"You can't pick Andrew Strauss just because he's the obvious choice. You have to think about what's best for England."

Cork hopes Pietersen's departure will not signal his exit from the team entirely.

"It'll be interesting to hear exactly why he's resigned," said Cork.

"We need Kevin Pietersen firing on all cylinders if we are to have any chance of winning the Ashes."