London, Aug 15 Kevin Pietersen has said that under captain Andrew Strauss and coach Andy Flower, England have forged a team devoid of cliques, jealousies and selfishness.

In the past two years, England have beaten Australia home and away, drawn in South Africa and toppled India from their perch by winning the first three Tests of the four-match series.

"If Cooky does well, like he did here, it's amazing and you can feel it from me as a person to him. He knows I'm really ecstatic. When I hit a double-hundred a couple of weeks ago, I knew everybody was so happy for me," the Sun quoted Pietersen, as saying.

"We're all so happy because we're not worried about our own jobs. You don't have to love everybody in the team as long as you are performing. Not everybody loved each other in the great Australian and West Indies teams."

"I'm not saying none of us like each other - we actually like each other very much - but the important thing is there are no jealousies," he added.

Strauss' men have now won eight of their last nine Test series.

England had last surged to the top of the Test rankings in February 1979 when the then number-one ranked West Indies lost a six-Test series in India by 1-0.

However, the West Indies bounced back five months later to beat England by 1-0 in a five-Test series to reclaim the number-one ranking.

Prior to this and since the 1950s, England had twice achieved number-one rankings - from 1955 to 1959 and then from 1970 to 1973. (ANI)