Barbados (West Indies), Mar. 30 : England cricket captain Andrew Strauss has warned Kevin Pietersen to keep his mouth shut.

Captain Strauss and England's management are increasingly unhappy at KP's words and actions.

Strauss, whose side beat the Windies in yesterday's one-dayer, was quoted by The Sun as saying: "Sometimes what he says is put in big headlines so he must be conscious of the attention what he says does receive."

KP tested the England hierarchy's tolerance towards him when he walked off yesterday clutching his back having bowled just five balls in the fourth one-day international.

He suffered a spasm and would not have been able to bat until No 7 - but England cruised to a nine-wicket victory to level the series at 2-2.

It has been revealed Pietersen asked to fly home for 48 hours from the Caribbean last month between the Third and Fourth Tests.

Permission was refused as players are normally allowed home only for family bereavements or if their wives are due to give birth - keeper Matt Prior returned to the UK at the same time after the birth of his first child.

Strauss said: "We are on a cricket tour and it would have set a bad precedent to allow a player to go home. Kevin understood that fully and he just got on with it.

"He's been very supportive and professional all tour. I've had a chat with Kevin about what he has said. It is dealt with from our point of view."

Pietersen, 28, revealed last week he was so fed up with England's defeats and missing his wife so much he was "at the end of my tether."

But management know Mrs Pietersen - former pop singer Jessica Taylor - did not fly out with the other WAGs because she was earning money and trying to re-launch her career on Dancing on Ice.

Strauss and assistant-coach Andy Flower have also noted KP will still fly to South Africa early next month to play in the Indian Premier League.

These contradictions are upsetting Strauss and Flower - as well as the self-pitying tone of many of Pietersen's comments. (ANI)