Kevin Pietersen insists his England career isn’t over despite selectors overlooking him for the Third and final Test against South Africa following allegations he sent derogatory text messages to the visitors.
The 32-year-old England batsman has been in the headlines for the past week, following the drawn Second Test in Leeds where he scored a century, after he made the revelation that he may walk away from the sport.
The comments a part of a bizarre series of events, which has led England selectors to opt to leave him out of the side for the Third Test starting on Thursday at Lord’s due to the disruption he may bring to the team. It is alleged, Pietersen had sent derogatory texts to the South Africans regarding his team-mates and captain Andrew Strauss in particular.
However, following the decision, Pietersen came out publicly, revealing his disappointment at being overlooked but insisting his career isn’t over, having stated he wants to return to all forms of the game in a video released on the weekend.
“I am hugely disappointed that the ECB have decided not to select me. To say I am gutted is an understatement,” Pietersen said.
“This entire episode has been demoralising for me and my family. However, none of this constitutes the end of my career as an international cricketer.
“The video I released was my way to bring closure to the issues I had at that time. I had an emotional time at Headingley but I stand by every word I said in the video.”
England and Wales Cricket Board managing director Hugh Morris stated the selectors’ disappointment with Pietersen.
“During the past week we have held several discussions with Kevin Pietersen and his advisors. Following a constructive meeting it was agreed that a number of actions needed to be completed to re-engage Kevin within the England dressing room,” he said.
“A fundamental item was to confirm publicly that no derogatory texts had been sent by Kevin to the South African team. This has not been forthcoming despite clear timelines being set to allow the selectors to pick the squad for the 3rd Test Match. We provided an additional six hours this morning to provide every opportunity for agreement to be reached but regrettably this has not been possible.
“The success of the England team has been built on a unity of purpose and trust. Whilst we have made every attempt to find a solution to enable Kevin to be selected we have sadly had to conclude that, in the best interest of the team, he will miss the Lord’s Test.”