Matt Prior and Stuart Broad helped prevent a man jumping off the Pyrmont Bridge in Sydney as they returned from a Barmy Army charity evening. Broad later tweeted: "@MattPrior13 is a best friend of mine and I'm very proud of him. It was a tough situation but so glad he was there."
Along with the England security officer, Terry Minish, they pulled the British man away from the ledge as he was about to jump and kept him talking on the bridge until New South Wales police arrived. The man had thrown his telephone, passport and wallet in the water.
"Walking back to the hotel we spotted a young man on the edge of the bridge about to jump," Minish told the Daily Telegraph. "He was saying he just wanted to drown.
"Matt helped to pull him down off the edge of the bridge and sat with him until the police arrived.
Impulse
"It all happened very quickly and we acted on impulse. It is what you do in these situations."
“We just did what anybody would do in that situation,” said Prior. “We were trying to help a bloke who was struggling and in a bad way. I look back and I’m just glad we left the bar when we did and we were there for him.”
New South Wales police have declined to comment.
Meanwhile, the England and Wales Cricket Board has issued a statement on behalf of Andy Flower denying reports that he may consider resigning if Kevin Pietersen continues to be a long-term fixture in the Test team. Pietersen also responded to the stories, describing himself as "shocked" and restating his commitment to carry on playing for England until 2015.
It has been suggested Flower is prepared to consider stepping down if the ECB managing director Paul Downton, new national selector James Whittaker and Alastair Cook are convinced Pietersen remains central to England's prospects. In a statement Flower stated that no firm ultimatum on the issue has been made.
Statement
The statement in full reads: "Following speculation in the media today I feel it necessary to reiterate much of what I said in my recent press conference. It would be sensible and responsible to review the tour in a calm and logical manner before assessing our options for the future and planning ahead.
“I repeat that neither I nor the wider ECB leadership group have made any decisions as to the future involvement of any individuals in the playing group or in the support staff. The reports that I have issued an ultimatum of some description to the ECB are totally inaccurate.”
While Flower has not denied the sentiments attributed to him or made any mention of Pietersen, he is adamant no decision has been taken or demands made.
“It is worth noting this leaves England’s team director in the slightly odd position of having denied doing something he has not specifically been accused of: there was no suggestion in initial reports of Flower’s intentions that these feelings have been formally conveyed to the ECB.
Shortly after Flower’s statement Pietersen tweeted: “I am shocked and saddened by reports in the media today concerning my future with England. I wish to repeat my strong desire to continue playing for my country, and to help us regain the Ashes in 2015.”
The batsman also described as "complete and utter lies" a suggestion that he is facing disciplinary action as a result of his attitude to England warm-up games.
Guardian Service
