LONDON Aug 11 (Reuters) – Kevin Pietersen wants to commit
to England in all three forms of cricket, ending speculation he
would quit tests after the final match with South Africa
starting on Thursday.
The 32-year-old had retired from one-day cricket in May but
said in a video released on Youtube on Saturday that he would
like to be considered again for 50-over and Twenty20
international cricket.
“Yes I’m wanting to play all three forms of cricket for
England again,” he said. “The one-day-internationals against
South Africa in a couple of weeks and the T20 World Cup
hopefully if they select me in the final squad.”
It remains to be seen if the England and Wales Cricket Board
(ECB) will pick him for the upcoming one-dayers, especially
September’s Twenty 20 World Cup in Sri Lanka after he was left
out of the provisional squad.
Pietersen, England’s most explosive batsman, had raised the
possibility of quitting England altogether with comments after
last week’s second drawn test with South Africa where he shone
with the bat.
On Saturday, he referred to his comments as “mistakes” and
also confirmed he would not play in the whole Indian Premier
League season with Delhi Daredevils next year and would make
himself available for England, a sticking point with the ECB.
“I’ve had a change of heart because… I love playing for
England,” he said.
“It would be really sad to end my career like this.”
Speculation about dressing room tensions linked to a Twitter
parody account of him, as well as fearing he was playing too
much cricket and his desire to cash in from the IPL, were blamed
for his thoughts of retirement.
However, Pietersen said in the video that the mood in the
dressing room was now “sorted out” after a long chat with a team
mate who had made him feel “a very happy bloke”.
(Writing by Mark Meadows)
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