Pietersen quits English cricket, pulls out of IPL too

Photo: BCCI

New Delhi: Kevin Pietersen has decided to draw curtains on his illustrious career as an England cricketer and also announced that he will no longer be available for the next season of IPL.

The maverick English batsman wants to concentrate on wild life conservation and hence has decided to call it quits. 

His decision to pull out of IPL is however, because it comes at the end of his season. He had also pulled out of the last edition of IPL citing fatigue but he did participate in the Pakistan Super League (PSL).

Pietersen though, did not rule out the possibility of returning to IPL as a commentator.

“I’m done playing (in the IPL), but I can commentate,” he continued. “The reason why I commentate is I go for one week, come home for two weeks, then I come back for a week and home for two weeks. When you’re a player, you’re there the whole time, you’re everywhere… I can’t do that.”

The 36-year-old right hander will turn up for Surrey in the NatWest T20 Blast in what will be his assignment as an English cricketer.

His cricketing career is still very up and running as he has been named as one of the marquee players in the upcoming South Africa Global T20 League and will also feature in the next edition of PSL.

“The IPL comes at the end of my schedule. So I’m playing for Surrey now, in August-September. Then I play in South Africa in November, into December. I play in Australia all of December and all of January. Then I play the Pakistan Super League in February-March. So can’t play in India, it’s too long.