Mike Yardy has jumped to the defence of Sussex team-mate Matt Prior after he was on the end of a fresh wave of attacks from Kevin Pietersen today.

Pietersen has reiterated his accusation that Prior acted as a bully in the England dressing room and also claimed saying the Sussex wicketkeeper’s behaviour was “embarrassing” during the doomed Ashes series in Australia last winter.

Yardy hit back saying Prior was the ultimate team man and that he had never witnessed any of the traits Pietersen had described over 20 years of playing with him for Sussex and England.

Yardy, speaking on Sky Sports, said: “I’ve know Matt since the age of 13 and I’ve always seen him as a loyal, team man so I don’t agree with those comments.

“Matt wants the best for the team. No one can argue that in a dressing room things do get heated but you hope that everyone has the right intentions and I certainly know that is the case with Matt.

“I have played enough with Matt to vouch for the way he goes about things with both Sussex and England. He will voice his opinions and sometimes with that you get labelled but Matt is 100% a team man.

“I don’t think anyone would like to be labelled a bully. I have known Matt for years and years and I have never seen that side of him.”