Kevin Pietersen saga: Hayden says England applicants crazy

England's new director of cricket Andrew Strauss captained Pietersen in 46 Test matches

Anyone applying for the job of England head coach would be "crazy", says former Australia opener Matthew Hayden.

Hayden's former team-mates Jason Gillespie and Justin Langer are the favourites to succeed Peter Moores.

But Hayden says the decision to exclude batsman Kevin Pietersen shows the new coach will merely be a stooge for the England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB).

"You're going to have no control whatsoever," he said. "You are the man the establishment is going to kick."

England are looking for a new coach to take over for the series against Australia in July, with Paul Farbrace in temporary charge for this month's Tests against New Zealand.

However, Moores' successor will not be allowed to pick Pietersen because of what incoming director of cricket Andrew Strauss described as "massive trust issues" with the board.

Hayden, who scored 30 centuries in 103 Tests for his country, described Pietersen as one of Australia's "greatest foes".

He added on BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "You'd be crazy to apply for the England coach's role because with a director, you are the man the establishment is going to kick.

"I think England are entering into a very dangerous space. They have been in a perilous position for the last six months and they are going into very deep times now with an absolutely on-fire New Zealand team and a really revengeful and very in form Australian team too.

"There are going to be some really tough times ahead for England and they need to sort their back of office out quickly, otherwise we are going to see England fall well behind in those Test rankings."

Gillespie and Hayden were Australia team-mates from 1998-2006

Strauss has confirmed Yorkshire coach Gillespie is among the candidates to be England's next coach.

And England captain Michael Vaughan believes the former Australia seamer would like to take the role.

"I don't care where the coach comes from, I want the best man to lead England forward," Vaughan told BBC Radio 5 live. "Gillespie I'm sure would jump at the chance.

"English cricket has become too serious, everything has become complicated. Gillespie is very simple in his method that he brings and in the way he plays. He wants to play attacking cricket, give players the responsibility."

Vaughan says he believes Western Australia coach Langer is being lined up by Cricket Australia as current coach Darren Lehmann's successor, and does not expect an English candidate to get the job as Moores' replacement.

"Mark Robinson has done well with the Lions and at Sussex, and Mick Newell at Notts - but English coaches are almost scarred by Peter Moores' failure," he added.

Meanwhile, Hayden says Australia will be delighted not to be lining up against Pietersen this summer.

"Kevin Pietersen probably couldn't be a greater foe to Australian cricket and to the Australian cricket team," Hayden said.

"There have been very few players in the last one or two generations that have had the ability to entertain and direct their attention towards positive cricket like Kevin Pietersen has.

"He was in line with Andrew Flintoff as one of the extremely dominant players that was able to overturn the great Australian team of that 2000 era."