Pietersen: England career is not over
Kevin Pietersen wants to play for England again
Kevin Pietersen insists his England career will continue despite being left out of this week's must-win Lord's Test.
England's selectors did not pick Pietersen on Sunday afternoon in their 13-man squad for the final Investec Test against South Africa and replaced him with Jonathan Bairstow.
Pietersen had hoped his commitment on Saturday night to make himself available again for England in all three formats would ensure he was selected to face his native country in his 89th Test match. "This entire episode has been demoralising for me and my family," Pietersen said in a statement.
However, the absence of a public assurance from him that there was no "derogatory" content about his own team in text messages he reportedly sent to South Africa players last week was apparently the last straw after a vexed summer of contract wrangles between him and his employers at the England and Wales Cricket Board.
Pietersen added: "However, none of this constitutes the end of my career as an international cricketer."
Pietersen spoke, in an interview released on YouTube on Saturday night, of looking forward to joining England's bid for a series-levelling victory as they try to salvage their world number one status.
He added: "Naturally, I'm hugely disappointed that the ECB have decided not to select me. To say I'm gutted is an under-statement."
The 32-year-old played one of his best innings - a man-of-the-match 149 - in the drawn second Test at Headingley, where he also became the quickest batsman in history to top 7,000 runs.
But he left Leeds under a cloud after a post-match press conference in which he hinted at dressing-room unrest and refused to give assurances that the Lord's Test would not be his last appearance.
"I had an emotional time at Headingley, and the video I released was my way to bring closure to the issues I had at that time," he said on Sunday evening, as he responded to his omission. "I stand by every word I said in that video. The fact is I love England and I love cricket. I wish the team, and Straussy in particular, every success next week."
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K P Is a great player but, But no one person is bigger than the team, And i feel at the moment i feel the E C B Have made the right call, The team need to be together and play as a team, That's why they are world number one and best team in the world, up until after this seies, where i'm sad to say that S A while replace them as world number one.
We will miss K P, but cricket is more inportant than one person, I can only hope K P learns from what he has done, because we need great players in are team, but he has to be apart of the team, and become a team player.
Play up England on thursday at Lords, let's hope we get a great result and win, and remain world number one.
The life of an international cricketer is actually probably quite tough. You spend months at a time away from your family, just when you want to see them grow up. I can imagine it is a quite a confusing time as you near the end of your playing career but for the sake of team moral and team spirit I think the selectors are right to say " look sorry mate, by all means go off and play in the IPL if that's what you want to do. No one is forcing you to play for England. We are not here to provide a sort of interim pension here for highly talented players who have a bit more test life in them" I'm afraid you are wanting your cake and eat it here a bit mate and must accept it's time to move on.
