FAZAL-UR-REHMAN
Karachi: Kevin Pietersen has said there is still a chance he could play "white ball" cricket for England despite retiring from limited overs internationals. However, the South Africa-born batsman, who remains a Test Cricketer, said it would take a drastic change to England's packed schedule for him to consider a return to One Day Internationals (ODI) and Twenty20 matches for his adopted country.
Asked if he would reconsider his retirement from international cricket, the 32-year-old said, "Never say never. I’m a lot older and more mature than a few years ago, so you never know. Anything can happen. I will never say no, but the schedule would have to be a hell of a lot different for me to come back. Wait and see."
Pietersen called time on his international career when the England management denied his wish to continue playing Twenty20 while quitting ODIs. They said he had to make himself available for both formats amidst concerns that otherwise, the ODI side would be weakened by several players following Pietersen's lead.
"I still hope there might be a compromise for the World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka," he said. "The squad hasn't been announced. I would love to play in that and defend our title with England. If it happens, great, but I’m not holding my breath."
However, Pietersen's critics insist he could have kept playing for England in all three major formats and still have given himself a break, if only he had opted out of the lucrative Twenty20 Indian Premier League.
But Pietersen said expecting him, and other world stars to miss the IPL was unrealistic and that his participation wasn’t simply a matter of cash.