England celebrate winning The Ashes in Sydney in 2011
It's hard to believe that in 2012 England were the top ranked test team in world cricket.
If victory in the Ashes series down under a year earlier was the highlight of England's rise to the top, then one moment during that time stood out as a clear illustration of team spirit.
The whole triumphant test team stood on the outfield performing the 'sprinkler', a daft dance dreamt up in the dressing room.
Fast forward three years and many of the same characters from that impromptu performance must be scratching their heads about went wrong following one of the most embarrassing weeks English cricket has ever gone through.
Here are five things we've learnt about the sport this week.
The England team weren't much of a team
A parody account had tens of thousands of followers but no longer exists
The image of a close knit collection of professionals pulling in the same direction is forever in tatters.
The man at the centre of the storm is Kevin Pietersen, one of the most destructive batsman ever to have padded up for England.
KP had a book to sell, and he's spared no effort in promoting his autobiography far and wide, making a number of damaging accusations in the process that talked of cliques in the dressing room.
He said some bowlers were responsible for a culture of bullying that left junior team mates cold, and him in tears.
Former Australian captain Ricky Ponting has backed Pietersen's claims saying some players abused each other for dropped catches.
Parody Twitter accounts do cause problems
England celebrate Ashes success in 2005
KP suggested the spoof Twitter account set up to parody him in 2012 was done with the full knowledge and approval of England's bowling clique.
That claim appeared to have been lent credibility by former England captain Alec Stewart, who revealed the man behind that same Twitter account told him Stuart Broad, Graeme Swann and co were in on it.
So far reaching were the shock waves of the accusations that even the BBC's cricket correspondent Jonathan Agnew felt compelled to quit Twitter after getting involved in the argument.
KP is as divisive in real life as on the field
KP celebrates a century against India in 2011
There is no doubting KP's skill but he was criticised too many times for going all Hollywood on the pitch.
He often went for the spectacular when safety was the better option.
It seems off the field he's the same.
The players on the receiving end of KP's cover drives have largely kept their council, although Tim Bresnan tweeted his disappointment at having been implicated, while Graeme Swann dismissed KP's ranting as "codswallop".
Swann is now said to be consulting lawyers while Matt Prior has promised to have his say at some point.
He'll never play for England again
KP's wife is former Liberty X singer Jessica Taylor
The group responsible for running English cricket, the ECB, has been forced to deny leaking a dossier on Pietersen's behaviour that led to his dismissal from the England set-up.
They've also been forced to write press releases providing the official version of events in an ineffective attempt at damage limitation.
KP always hoped there was still a chance he'd play for England again. Now though there isn't.
There are even more people in the way of that happening.
In cricket when you stop playing you often enter the stands.
Power travels onwards and often upwards.
Don't mess with Jessica from Liberty X
When pushed too far, noughties pop stars fight back. Jessica Taylor was unhappy at commentator Jonathan Agnew challenging KP's character.
He said the real KP is "an anxious, nervous character". She was also unhappy he had access to the parody Twitter account.
They battled online. He later quit. Even Piers Morgan said he wouldn't mess with her. Neither would we.
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