Kevin Pietersen

At 43 years old, Kevin Pietersen has this physical status:

Kevin Peter Pietersen (born 27 June 1980) is a former cricketer.

He is a right-handed batsman and occasional off-spin bowler who played in all three styles for England between 2005 and 2014.

Pietersen was born in South Africa to an Afrikaner father and an English mother.

Since expressing his dissatisfaction with what he said was the racial quota system in South African cricket, he made his first-class debut for Natal in 1997 and then moved to England in 2000.

Pietersen, who was of English descent, was eligible for the England team so long as he first played a four-year qualifying period in English county cricket.

After finishing four years with Nottinghamshire, he was called up by England almost immediately.

Early and personal life

Pietersen was born in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa, to an English mother, Penny, and Jannie, a Afrikaner boy. Pietersen, as well as his three brothers Tony, Greg and Bryan, had a strict and disciplined childhood; he learned valuable lessons from his "fantastic" approach to parenting; "Discipline is fine," he said. It taught me that I didn't have to have what I wanted; that what I wanted was different from what I wanted. Bryan played for club and second XI cricket in England. Pietersen could not play rugby because of his forearm injury at 11 years old, but he did play hockey, tennis, and squash, which also made his right arm a good deal for batting.

Pietersen hails from Maritzburg College, Pietermaritzburg, where he made his first-class cricket debut for Natal's B team in 1997, aged 17, where he was mainly known as an off spin bowler and a hard-hitting lower-order batsman. After two seasons, he joined England for a five-month stint as the overseas player for club side Cannock CC, which helped them win the Birmingham and District Premier League in 2000. This first spell away from home did not leave him with fond memories of England, in particular "those awful Black Country accents" referring to a West Midlands dialect, living in a joint room above a squash court, and working in the club bar. However, he returned to his newly renamed KwaZulu Natal team as a better cricketer, but a lack of opportunities to bowl had raised his batting ability.

Clive Rice invited him to sign for Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club after seeing Pietersen play at a school cricket festival. Pietersen accepted without hesitation, eager to make the most of top-class cricket under the guidance of a mentor for whom he had the highest regard. He did not hesitate to fortaking his country at this time, but it had not occurred to him that the call would have to be taken.

Pietersen is often depicted in the media as having a self-assured personality, portrayed by Geoffrey Boycott as being "cocky and confident." Michael Vaughan, the former England test captain, responds to this by claiming that "KP is not a confident individual." He obviously has a lot of confidence in his abilities, but it is not necessarily the same as love... And I know KP wants to be loved. Because I know he is fragile, I try to text him and talk to him as often as I can. During the 2005 Ashes series, he was known for his unusual haircuts, with his perplexe blonde streak of hair along the middle of his head being referred to as a "dead skunk" appearance. The Australian team, who had been praised for their efforts to destabilize opponents physically, dubbed him "The Ego" or "FIGJAM" (Fuck I'm Good, Just Ask Me). "KP," "Kelves," and "Kapes" are among the nicknames that have been used in other ways.

Pietersen is married to former Liberty X singer Jessica Taylor. Former England teammate Darren Gough was named as the best man at the wedding on December 29, 2007, in Castle Combe, Wiltshire.

Jessica gave birth to the couple's first child, a boy, in 2010. Pietersen moved from touring Barbados on to attend the birth of his son. He arrived at the hospital just in time for the birth. They had their second child, a girl, in 2015. Pietersen took leave from playing for the Melbourne Stars in Australia's Big Bash League to attend the birth.

Pietersen thinks South Africa is his second home and England, and the family splits their time between Surrey and the Sabie River.

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Domestic career

When playing for KwaZulu Natal in 1999, he impressed members of Nasser Hussain's England team; he took four top-order wickets and scored 61 not out from 57 balls, hitting four sixes. Hussain also recommended that Pietersen obtain a deal with an English county team.

Pietersen denied being dropped from the Natal first team despite the England praise. Pietersen attributed this to the country's racial quota system, in which provincial sides were expected to have at least four black players. Pietersen believed that players should be judged on merit rather than "heartbreaking" if he was left out of the team, but later reported "it was the right thing that could have happened." However, in the 1999-2000 Supersport series, Pietersen's averaged 10.75 with the bat and took ten wickets at an expensive 37.50, which were not enough to secure his place in the KwaZulu Natal team. Pietersen has since sluggishly sluggish quota system, which he claims has forced him out of the country of his origins. He also slammed Graeme Smith, who became the captain of the South African side in 2003, saying his behavior "leaves a lot to be desired." Smith condemned this, saying, "I'm patriotic about my country," Smith said, and that's why I don't like Kevin Pietersen." Kevin and I have never had a friendship because he slated South Africa." Pietersen's outspoken views published in his autobiography, Crossing the Boundary, in September 2006, and in an interview with the South African edition of GQ magazine resulted in no calls for an ICC probe into the game's disrepute.

Pietersen had played for Pietersen in 1997 in South Africa at a schools week, and the county's coach, Clive Rice, heard him play for the county for three years. On his Nottinghamshire debut against Loughborough UCCE, he scored his second first-class century. He batted out a duck in the first innings in his first season, with 218 not out in an unbroken sixthwicket stand of 352 with John Morris in July. "If Pietersen's form can be maintained for future Test squads, he should be considered in for future Test squads," Almanack's Almanack says. This form of cricket continued into the following year: against Middlesex he made another unbeaten double-century and joined 316 for the fourth wicket with Darren Bicknell. In one week in August, the batsman had a purple patch (254 not out, 122, 147, and 116) all reached their highest point in history.

Pietersen registered 1,546 first-class runs and 764 runs in limited overs cricket in 2003. He was selected for the 2003/04 ECB National Academy tour of India and had a spectacular tour with 523 runs, including three centuries, in his six first-class innings, average of 104.60, and 131 in a one-day match against India's No. 1.

Pietersen was released from his employment after Nottinghamshire was demoted in 2003, saying, "I haven't been keen for a long time." If the wicket had been right, I might have done so much more." This resulted in a public spat with club captain Jason Gallian, where Gallian allegedly yanked Pietersen's kit off the Trent Bridge balcony and broke his bat:

Pietersen was invited to celebrate the last year of his employment at Nottinghamshire, but "didn't love it at all."

He joined Hampshire in October 2004 under Shane Warne's captaincy. Pietersen had never had the opportunity to play domestic cricket after being a regular on the national team. Pietersen was only allowed to play for Hampshire at the discretion of the national coach, and that had an England "central contract." Pietersen had many good innings in the English County Championship last year, including two centuries, after being left out of the national team to face Bangladesh in May 2005. He only played twice for the county in 2006 and only appeared twice against Ireland in 2007, including an unbeaten 66 against Ireland. Pietersen's last first-class match for Hampshire came against Somerset in 2008, where he scored 100 runs in Hampshire's first innings, and after his son's birth, he announced that he would leave Hampshire at the end of the 2010 season.

Pietersen came from Hampshire on loan for the remainder of the 2010 English county cricket season. In his first Clydesdale Bank 40 appearance against Sussex, he scored a century, earning 116 off 105 deliveries. It was his first limited overs century since 2008, and the first century of any kind since March 2009. From the 2011 season onwards, he has subsequently signed permanently for Surrey. Pietersen had also rejoined his old club, the Dolphins, for a short time in October 2010.

Pietersen dropped out of the initial stages of the 2015 Indian Premier League in early 2015, instead opting to play in County Championship matches with the intention of playing for England again. Pietersen's best-class score of 355* increased following his meeting with Andrew Strauss, England's current Director of Cricket, although not out on 326 overnight against Leicestershire, during which Strauss denied any hints of a return for Pietersen.

Pietersen returned to English domestic cricket after joining Surrey for the NatWest t20 Blast on July 19, 2017. He had 52 runs, including four straight sixes, during his time in office. In the second innings, he was recalled by a replacement fielder. Pietersen revealed on July 29 that he had decided to give all of his funds to rhino conservation efforts. Pietersen, who was out for the majority of the season and making just one more T20 appearance, has confirmed that he would leave Surrey and English cricket as a whole after the club's loss in the quarter finals to the Birmingham Bears.

Delhi Daredevils of Indian Premier League bought Pietersen for US$1.5 million in February 2014, and he captained the team for that season. Pietersen had played for the Delhi Daredevils in the 2012 Indian Premier League season and had his most successful IPL season by scoring 305 runs at a strike rate of 147, which included a victorious knock of 103*.

Pietersen was purchased by Sunrisers Hyderabad for 2 Crore Rupees in the 2015 Indian Premier League auction. Pietersen was released by Sunrisers Hyderabad prior to the tournament's launch, but he might play in the later stages of the 2015 Indian Premier League season. Due to injury, plans to return Hyderabad to the end of the season were postponed.

Pietersen was a "big hit" for the 2014–15 Big Bash League season, when he first signed him with the Melbourne Stars in 2014. Kevin Pietersen played his first match in the 2014–15 Big Bash League season as the No.3 batsman, scoring 66 runs off 46 balls on December 18, 2014. In 2016, he helped the team beat two-time defending champion Perth Scorchers to advance to their first Grand Final and their fifth straight Finals appearances. Pietersen also signed a two-year contract, which brought him into the 2017-18 season.

Pietersen played T20 cricket in the Caribbean Premier League after signing for St Lucia Zouks for the 2014 Caribbean Premier League season.

In July 2014, he played for the Rest of the World team in the Bicentennial Celebration match at Lord's.

Pietersen declared on January 6, 2018 that he would have to step away from all forms of cricket at the end of the season. Pietersen returned to participate in the Ultimate Kricket Challenge in 2020.

International career

Pietersen is eligible to play for England because he has an English mother. He was called up almost immediately after a four-year playing at an English county level, and he made his international debut against Zimbabwe in 2004.

Several Zimbabweans were encouraged to voiced their doubts about the Robert Mugabe regime, the security issues in the region, and the Zimbabwean side's performance. Steve Harmison was the first to cancel the tour due to "political and sporting reasons," and Andrew Flintoff, an all-rounder, was said to be considering taking a moral stand. David Graveney, the England chairman, denied that the pickors would leave out players dissatisfied with touring Zimbabwe and would leave them out due to injury. Flintoff was, however, "rested" and Pietersen rushed into the squad "at the earliest opportunity." Pietersen batted in three innings, with a score of 77 not out; the series was won by England in the five-match ODI series.

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Pietersen was dismissed by 96-ball 108 not out in Bloemfontein's tied second ODI after which the audience turned their backs on him as he returned to the pavilion. With this result, his ODI average hit a new high of 234.00. He made 75 at Cape Town and then at East London Pietersen, the fastest century by an England player in a one-day match, but England lost by eight runs. Pietersen came to the wicket at 32/3 and scored 116 in Centurion Park's last game, but could not prevent a loss. Pietersen concluded the season, losing 4–1, with 454 runs in five innings, and the Player of the Series award. The South African crowds had generally replaced hostility with admiration for Pietersen, who had been given a standing ovation at the end of the series.

Despite media rumors, Pietersen was not selected for the Tests against Bangladesh; his early season form was dogged by a foot injury—but, with his county form improving, he was selected for the Twenty20 match against Australia at Southampton, winning by 100 runs and taking three wickets. He was named 'Man of the match.'

Pietersen did not get to bat in the first match at The Oval as England won by ten wickets but at 91 off 65 balls in the match against Australia and Bangladesh in the triangular ODI series against Australia and Bangladesh, but Pietersen did not get to bat in the first match at The Oval. Pietersen scored quickly in the remainder of the triangular series, but not in the absence of other half-centuries. He only made 6 runs in the NatWest Series's final, with a total of 278 runs at an average of 46.33. Pietersen's performance sparked rumors that he will be drafted into the Test team for the Ashes later this year. Pietersen appeared in all three matches of the (ODI) NatWest Challenge against Australia later this year. He was the top scorer for England in the final match with 74 runs, but he was forced off the field in the third due to Australia's response with a groin injury.

Pietersen's wait for the Test team came to an end in July, according to England chairman David Graveney, who said Pietersen had been chosen ahead of Graham Thorpe. He made his Ashes Test debut at Lord's, becoming the 626th player to play for the national team. On his debut in his first innings, he came into bat at 18–3 and made 57 runs. He came in after a batting slump and finished making a second half-century and finished the innings on 64 not out, becoming only the fourth England player to score in both innings on his debut and third at Lord's. England was defeated by 239 runs before transferring to Edgbaston, where he was in a more comfortable position scoring 71 in the first innings. He had a fruitful relationship with Andrew Flintoff, where the pair took on 103 quickly. In the second innings, he scored 20 runs out of 31–4. He was involved in two controversial decisions: he gloved his first ball from Brett Lee, but the umpire denied the appeal, and Shane Warne gave him a ball that struck his pad then elbow before being spotted by Adam Gilchrist. England won the match by two runs.

Pietersen scored 21 in the first innings in his first quiet match after being trapped on the boundary. With England trying to recover, the nibw was dismissed lbw by Glenn McGrath for a golden duck. He scored 45 in the first innings at his former home ground Trent Bridge after facing 108 balls trying to put up a big score. He was in at 57–4 in the second innings, chasing 129 to triumph, but was still in a good match with Flintoff at 57–4. He was dismissed after being discovered wafting at a ball outside off stump. England won and went 2–1 up, but England lost and went 2–1. Pietersen did not contribute much in the first innings under pressure to produce a high score in the final Test at The Oval, but he scored 14 runs as he was bowled by Shane Warne for the first time in his Test career. Pietersen was dropped on 0 by a combination of Gilchrist and Hayden on 15 by his Hampshire colleague Shane Warne, who was unable to reach his 60th birthday by Shaun Tait in the second innings. He scored his first test century with a four off the bowling of Tait before falling to 158, presumably by Glenn McGrath. This innings was instrumental in ensuring the Ashes' return to England. His innings included seven sixes, defeating Ian Botham's record for the most sixes by an English player in an Ashes innings. Pietersen was named Man of the Match for his efforts and ended the season as the top scorer in the series with 473 runs over the five Tests, an average of 52.55, which was also the highest in the series. However, he had a less fruitful run in the field, dropping six catches in the five Tests, something he expressed with skepticism when asked about the Australians' dropping him three times on the final day. Pietersen was given an ECB central contract to reflect his position in the national arena.

Pietersen had a less fruitful time in England's three Test matches against Pakistan, which England lost 2–0. In the first and third tests, he had no effect. He was out for 5 runs in his first Test match innings since winning 158 against Australia. He was chastised for his dismissal in the second innings. Chasing was caught behind after a long slog on 19 as England continued to lose by 22 runs. He made 34 runs in the third test before edging behind in the first innings. Pietersen pushed Danish Kaneria to short leg while England was only on one as England was to be defeated by an innings. In the second innings, he did better, but he was in his second Test century in the first innings. He hit a six before next ball, and was out. England was 20–4 in the next innings, with England needing to bat out a draw, but England was 42 to help the team win. He was also doing well in the one-day series with two explosive innings of 56 from 39 balls to help England win the first ODI and 28 from 27 balls in the second. Pietersen's last on the tour was expected to be the quick-scoring innings in the second ODI. Pietersen returned to England to recuperate fully for the tour of India after a rib injury in the first ODI.

Pietersen played in the three Tests against India in March 6, 2006, when England lost 1–1. Another rash shot brought him down in the first innings. He pulled a ball from Sing Snanth onto his stumps. In the second innings of the first match, he scored 87, boosting the required target above 300. England announced overnight, and India's took the final day to secure a draw. In the first innings of the second Test, this half-century was followed by another. He gave his wicket away on 64 runs when he offered Munaf Patel a return catch. The second innings was not so good, with just 13 balls before being allowed out due to a Harbhajan Singh delivery. The dissatisfied Pietersen was later fined 30 percent of his match fee for shaking his head and showing signs of opposition. Replays revealed that the ball that had disqualified him had brushed his forearm not his glove before ballooning up into the hands of Rahul Dravid at slip. However, England's darrell Hairs was dismissed for 4 as England fell on the fourth afternoon. Pietersen scored 39 in the first innings of the third test before being trapped by Mahendra Singh Dhoni. He batted 7 out of a row in the second innings, this time by Anil Kumble on a leading edge. In India's second visit to the crease, despite a quiet match, England defeated him erectly after a disappointing 100 all out.

In the one-day series, in which England lost 5–1, he was the top scorer for England in four out of five matches he played and had the highest average of any player with 58.20. In the second ODI, his 71 runs took him past 1,000 ODI runs, beating Viv Richards' record of 21 innings to reach this high.

Pietersen matched his highest Test score of 158 in his first match against Sri Lanka in May 2006. When he was lbw to Chaminda Valiant, his innings was ended. He scored 142 at Edgbaston in the second test. He played for almost half of England's runs. After he made his 100th birthday and his third six children, he saw the Switch coming to an end when he went out and played a switch at Muttiah Muralitharan. In his 12th Test match, he reached a record of 1,000 Test runs, and he became the first batsman to score a century in three consecutive Test innings on English soil. Pietersen's result put them in the top ten of the ICC cricket rankings. Murali had him twice removed him in the third test. He led to a sweep to short fine leg in the first innings, on 41. He was trapped at short leg for just six runs in the second innings, with England chasing 325. Despite this, his success in the first two tests earned him the England award (Test Match) Player of the Series. He got off with the bat in the first and second tests of the Pakistani series but not to exceed 50. In the first innings at Lords for 21, he was out lbw and giving no shot. He had some good strokes in his 41 innings as England were pushing forward, before being stumped by Shahid Afridi's bowling. He made 38 when he struck a half-volley close to point in the second test. He batted 135 runs from England's total of 515 in the third Test at Headingley. He scored his second golden duck of his Test career when he came in second in the final dramatic test at The Oval, on a horribly poor pitch. He made 96 in the second innings before edging back again before the test came to an unexpected conclusion early.

Pietersen bowled his first Test match cricket against Sri Lanka on June 4th. When Kamran Akmal had a thin edge against Geraint Jones earlier in the summer, his first Test wicket was against Pakistan. Pietersen scored 17 in the Twenty20 International later this month as England lost by two runs to Sri Lanka. The twenty over match against Pakistan was no better, Pietersen being bowled by Mohammad Asif for a golden duck as Pakistan advanced to a five-wicket triumph.

Pietersen was hyped up as England's best player in the Ashes series in Australia, where he scored 490 runs in five matches and averaged over fifty, despite Australia's obvious mockery of him. "I was curious to see how he'd do with more bounce in Australia in 2006-07 on pitches with more bounce," Warne wrote, "because bowlers had tried to put him through their pace with the short ball." He was also England's best batsman."

In the First Test, he got off to a good start. Despite a loss of 16 in the first test, he continued his fine streak of batting with a 92 in the second innings. England was not able to save the team from a 277-run loss. He maintained his good form in the second Test in Adelaide by sharing a 310-run partnership with Paul Collingwood in the third Test. When he finally came out, he was to "giggle" because it was the third time in his Test career that he had scored exactly 158 runs, his highest Test score at that time. However, he made 2 in a horrific second innings loss that cost England dearly. With 70 in the first innings and 60 not out in the second innings, he was the only batsman to provide any resistance in the third test. However, he couldn't sustain his form in the final two tests as England lost 5–0, but he couldn't make it back to his form.

Pietersen was run out on eleven in the tour's sole Twenty2020 match as England lost by 77 runs on the 11th wicket. Pietersen was injured when a ball bowled by Glenn McGrath struck him on the ribs in the first One Day International of the 2006-07 Commonwealth Bank Series on January 12th. Despite prolonging his innings in some pain, X-rays revealed a fracture, and Pietersen was forced to miss the remainder of the series.

England launched Group C with a game against New Zealand in which KP made 60 before holing out. He made another 50 against Kenya but ended up losing 5 against Canada as England sealed qualification. In the unconvincing victory over Ireland, he scored 48 points. Pietersen made 58 against Sri Lanka before being trapped and bowled by Murali. England won by 2 runs before losing by 7 wickets to Australia in the next round. Pietersen's against Australia had 104 runs off 122 balls. It was the first World Cup century for an Englishman since 1996, and the first against Australia. His participation in the World Cup helped him earn the International Cricket Council's top-ranked batsman in the world for ODIs. He failed in their first two attempts against Bangladesh and three against South Africa. England lost to South Africa, meaning that England did not qualify for the semi-finals. Pietersen made 100 from 91 balls in England's last game of the World Cup against the West Indies, and impacted the run-out of retiring captain Brian Lara. In doing so, he beat the record 51 matches set by Zaheer Abbas in this century. He finished the tournament with 444 runs, an average of 55.5 runs, and was described as shining in the England team "as a 100 watt bulb in a room full of candles." By Cricinfo, he was chosen in 'Team of the Tournament.'

He was dismissed by 26 again for a wide one in the first test of the series, but after England batsmen scored four centuries in the innings at Lord's, he scored a hundred in the second innings as England's progress was slowing. Pietersen set his second Test at Headingley with a score of 262 balls (with 24 fours and 2 sixes), defeating his previous best of 158, which he had set three times. Pietersen's overall best run-total out of his first 25 Tests stood out thanks to this stat. It's also the highest Test score for England since Graham Gooch scored 333 against India in 1990. The West Indies were defeated by 283 runs against no one on this innings, their first against any team. "I believe the recipe for success is hard work," Pietersen, the Man of the Match. I've been chastised for throwing my wicket away, and here's how to make it count.

He continued his poor run at the ground being bounced out twice for 9 and 68 in the third Test at Old Trafford. Pietersen lost his wicket in a bizarre dismissal when West Indian all-rounder Dwayne Bravo knocked Pietersen's helmet off his head and into his stumps. He is only the fourth batsman in Test cricket to be disqualified "hit wicket" as a result of headgear falling onto the stumps. This run took him past the 8,500 first-class runs he had set and 2,500 in Test cricket. England defeated the series 3–0 in the third match of the series, he recorded his third duck of his Test career in the first innings and 28 in the second innings.

In comparison, Pietersen's batting was poor in the upcoming single innings matches; he scored 77 runs in five matches (two Twenty20 and three ODI), with a second-ball duck in the final ODI. He then ranked second in the official One Day International batting rankings, behind Ricky Ponting. Pietersen's inability was a result of "fatigue," he said, and reiterated his calls for a less "hectic" match schedule.

Pietersen was in the first Test against India and in the first innings, he scored 37 runs but not without controversies, but not without controversy. He edged the ball behind Zaheer Khan to Dhoni. He walked, but after seeing replays on the television, he walked back to the middle and the decision was reversed. Interestingly, Khan was out shortly after being bowled in Dhoni. He was the top scorer in the second innings with a knock of 134 to set up a potential England win. Pietersen called this century his best century, in a time of intense uncertainty. He was twice lbw to RP Singh in the second test, a loss that later cost them the series. Pietersen scored his 10th Test century in the third and final Test at the Oval, helping England to tie the game with 101 after making 41 in the first innings. He struggled at the start of the series with a top score of 33 not out in the first five matches. In the final match at Lord's, he scored two half-centuries, with 71 not out and 72 not out. England won the match by hitting the winning runs to break the sequence.

Pietersen was also selected for and competed in the Twenty20 Championship in South Africa. Pietersen's highest Twenty20 score, including seven fours and four sixes, was in England's first game against Zimbabwe on September 13th, with seven fours and four sixes (one of them being a switch-hit sweep for six) in an English total of 188–9. England won the match by 50 runs; but, Pietersen's largest contribution to the event was to be made. He took his second 99 runs in four more games, bringing the overall average to 35.60. He also scored the most England fours (17) and shared the most England sixes (6) with Owais Shah. He also had the highest strike rate of any England batsman.

Pietersen scored 50 in England's first game against the Sri Lankan Cricket XI, but Pietersen didn't recover form until the fourth ODI, scoring 63 not out, as England gained their first series in Sri Lanka. In the warm-up matches for the Test series, this result was also changing, scoring 4, 1,1 and 59 against the Sri Lankan Cricket XI. In the first test, he got two starts with 31 and 18, but didn't go further. He was unfortunate because a ball that remained low from Dilhara Fernando in the second innings was bowled him in the second innings on 18. In the second test, he was able to score a draw. Pietersen's dismissal in the first innings was likely to be the source of much controversies. He edged his fifth ball to Chamara Silva at slip, who flicked the ball up for wicketkeeper Kumar Sangakkara to complete the catch. The two on-field umpires discussed the catch, as it was unclear if the ball had touched the ground before Silva flicking the ball up. While standing at the bowler's end, Daryl Harper made the call that the wicket had been taken, but Pietersen was caught on the big screen and wondered about the call's legitimacy. There were calls for similar catches to be named as the third (TV) umpire, but this can only take place if the on-field umpires haven't reached a decision. Pietersen hit 3,000 Test runs in the series, becoming the fastest player (by time) to do so, but he didn't fail to score a half century in a series for the first time.

Pietersen averaged 33.00 in the ODI series on England's tour against New Zealand, with one score of 50 in the tied fourth match; England lost the match 3–1. In the first of two promising Twenty20 matches, he had a top score of 43. Pietersen's first two Test matches were uneventful, with little evidence of the bat. In England's second innings, he produced 42 and 6 wickets as England's second innings came to a halt. In the upcoming test, he did not do well in getting 31 and 17. However, he saved England from a disastrous start of 4–3, guiding them to 259, their 11th Test century.

In the first two Test matches, New Zealand then returned to tour England and Pietersen once more failed, with scoring 3 in the first round. He did well in the second innings but not many in the first innings, then running himself out on 42 having looked well set. He seemed to be struggling particularly against Daniel Vettori, but he showed no signs of it as he reached a century in the third Test, establishing a fruitful partnership with Tim Ambrose, yielding a vital 115. In the Twenty2020 match, Pietersen defeated 42 not out.

Pietersen made two sixes by "switch-hitting" en route to 110 not out in the first ODI of the NatWest series. Pietersen, a medium-strength bowler, turned his body around and switched hands (effectively batting as a left-hander), striking two sixes over cover and long off. Pietersen not only changed his hand position (as some batsman do when playing the reverse sweep), but also changed his body position by turning his body, prompting calls to ban them from the game. Although Pietersen reverse-swept Muttiah Muralitharan for six runs in Sri Lanka in 2006, the ball was bowled.

Many commentators expressed skepticism about Pietersen's transformation from a right-handed batsman to a left-handed batsman as the bowler approached his delivery stride, gaining an unfair advantage. "A bowler must warn a batsman if he's changing direction, why should the batsman not," Gideon Haigh said, because the bowler's aim will depend on the placement of the off stump. "It just should be outlawed straightaway," Ian Healy said. You've got to do it in a cross fashion, not swap the way you're facing or your grip, if you want to hit one side of the field. Otherwise, you're going to encourage the bowlers to go round the wicket, over the wicket, and keep swapping during their runs.' "If the batsman can change from right-handed to left-handed, there shouldn't be a problem," Michael Holding said, without having to alert the umpire, nor should he have to inform the umpire if he's going over or round the wicket."

Pietersen retaliated with this assertion by saying, "I believe we were right."

The possibility of being out LBW ("a player is out LBW, or on the off side of the striker's wicket") is removed from the offside as the leg side becomes the leg side and vice versa." The shots were considered by Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), the game's governors, who came to the conclusion that the shot was legal, implying that the LBW (which reads "The offside of the striker's wicket will be determined by the striker's position at the time the ball comes into play for that delivery") accurately depicts the situation. In defending their decision, they cited variations bowlers can make, such as bowling a googly or a slower ball, as well as the inherent danger in the shot to the batsman.

Jonathan Agnew gives an example in which a right-handed batsman may take his position as a left-hander and then change direction as the bowler advances, allowing the bowler to retrieve any balls that land outside of his now off stump. In one-day cricket, he also calls for the broad rule to be changed, as bowlers are banned from making any deliveries that do not pass down the leg side.

After Paul Collingwood was suspended for four games for a slow over-rate during the previous match, Pietersen captained England in the fifth ODI against New Zealand. In August, Pietersen was named as the stand-in captain for three more matches.

Pietersen appeared to thrive in his first Test series against his former countrymen, who scored 152 in the first match of the series, with Michael Vaughan as captain for the first three tests. Pietersen was chastised for throwing his wicket away during a third Test against South Africa when on 94. Jonathan Agnew and Alec Stewart referred to the stroke as "irrelevant" and Agnew continued, with Pietersen ruled himself out of the potential reckoning for the England captaincy with Vaughan's position in the starting lineup in question after struggling to score runs. Vaughan resigned and Pietersen was made permanent captain of both the Test and ODI sides of the match (Paul Collingwood resigned as the ODI captaincy at the same time).

Pietersen paid tribute to both former and ODI captains after learning he had been named England Test and ODI captain, but he's revealed that he would lead the team in his own style. In his debut match as captain in the fourth Test of the dead rubber fourth Test, he scored a century in his debut as captain, defeating South Africa 4–0. He made 90 not out and went 2–22 with the ball in that sequence. England defeated England in the fourth ODI, another dead rubber, as England were 3–0 up.

Pietersen continued to lead the team after a 5–0 loss to India in ODI matches; the series was supposed to feature seven matches but was postponed after the fifth due to the 2008 Mumbai attacks. Pietersen had a good run in the first match, with the bat hitting 63 runs in the first round and 111 not out in the fifth match. The Pietersen men returned to England before resuming the tour in the face of unprecedented darkness to play in a two-Test series. Pietersen was outspoken in support of the tour's revival, blaming the desire to face terrorism. In the first test being called off by Yuvraj Singh in the second innings, Pietersen's war against Yuvraj from the ODI series continued. He had a total of 5 runs in 2 innings. England was disqualified in the first round, but the team regained control by placing the second with Pietersen scoring 144.

Following England's loss in India, Pietersen had requested the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) to hold emergency meetings to discuss Moores' coaching position with the team in January 2009. Pietersen made a 'unhealthy situation' that needed to be addressed in the England camp days later. Moores is expected to be replaced shortly if there was a Pietersen-Moores rift, according to the media. Moores and Pietersen were reported to disagree on several topics, including the team's preparations and the potential selection of former England captain Michael Vaughan for the forthcoming West Indies' tour. Moores was dismissed as England's coach by the ECB on January 7, 2009, and Pietersen unexpectedly resigned as captain. Multiple commentators connected with English cricket stated that Pietersen had miscalculated by openly calling for the removal of Moores, particularly in making their case public. Pietersen admitted in an interview several days after his departure that he had not intended to resign as captain but was told by ECB officials that he was resigning. Dennis Amiss, the vice president of the United Kingdom, went on record backing up Pietersen's assertion that the rift with Moores had not been leaked to the media by him, adding, "We know his dissatisfaction with it being leaked by other groups." Pietersen was captain for three Test matches and ten One Day International matches. Andrew Strauss would take over the captaincy, according to the news.

Pietersen's first match since resigning from the captaincy attracted a lot of media interest, especially in the Caribbean during England's tour of the West Indies under new captain Strauss. Despite Pietersen's 97 in the first innings of the first Test, West Indies had a lead of 74 and England was bowled out for 51, with Pietersen bowled out for 51, with England losing by a wicket by Jerome Taylor as England fell to an innings loss. Pietersen made 51 in a 'third' Test after the second Test was called off. His good form continued as he scored 72 points not out to draw England at Barbados. Pietersen scored 102 off 92 balls in the fifth and final Test, with England needing to win. In the one-day sequence that followed, he failed to his best score, which was 48.

Royal Challengers Bangalore of the Indian Premier League bought Pietersen for US$1,550,000 in February 2009, making him the highest-paid IPL player alongside Andrew Flintoff. Pietersen will replace Rahul Dravid as the captain in the following month. He won two out of his six matches in charge before leaving to fulfill his international obligations with England; Anil Kumble took over captaincy and led the Bangalore team to the IPL final. Kevin Pietersen was acquired by Deccan Chargers in 2011 and was sold to Delhi Daredevils in 2012 without having played a single game for the Chargers.

Pietersen began 2009 with questions over his form, when many pundits believed him to be in a slump. In the first Test against the touring West Indies team, he was dismissed first ball by the full, swinging ball (a charge he didn't have to worry about), but in the second Test, he managed to fall to an attacking shot. He sustained what seemed to be a minor right Achilles injury and was eventually booted out of the ODI series, which England also won. Pietersen was in England's World Twenty20 warm-up match against Scotland in June 2009, defeating Scotland by a whopping 53 runs in a six-wicket England victory. After the boy had bowled to him, he appeared in the news after mistakenly hitting a 15-year-old school boy with a cricket ball from a straight-drive. Pietersen left the boy from Suffolk with a signed bat as restitution.

Pietersen's Achilles injury erupted early in England's first Twenty20 match against the Netherlands not long after. England suffered a humiliating defeat against the Dutch in Pietersen's absence. He returned for his second match against Pakistan, scoring 58 off 38 balls and hitting 3 sixes, one of which was measured at over 100 meters), and he also scored in the 48 run win over India later in the tournament. Despite missing the first match Pietersen ended the tournament as England's top runcorer with 154 runscorer with 154 average of 38.50. Cricinfo selected him as part of the 2009 T20I World Cup's Team of the Tournament.

Pietersen joined the England Ashes squad in June 2009 for the forthcoming 2009 Ashes series. Despite failing to exceed single figure scores in a warm-up match against Warwickshire, England's Nathan Hauritz led England to a score over 400 on the first day of the first Test at the SWALEC Stadium in Cardiff, with 69 people dismissing a clean sweep to a ball outside of off stump; the dismissal was strongly criticized. He also started his Achilles injury again, which hindered his batting a little. After leaving a single ball from Ben Hilfenhaus, he was bowled for 8 in the second innings. Many commentators believe the shaming of England's key batsman from the first innings may have affected him. In the first innings at Lords, he showed his fitness by shooting some classic shots before being trapped behind Peter Siddle. He came in during England's lead of nearly 300 runs in the second innings, and Ravi Bopara batted for time. Pietersen limped when he ran, but several shots went off the inside edge, creating more troubling questions about the remainder of the sequence. He actually did well to reach 44 before being caught off Siddle once more. Pietersen was kicked out of the remainder of the game after struggling in the field as England defeated them, but not before suffering with an Achilles injury. Test matches came to an end. Pietersen was not included in the 2009 ICC Champions Trophy, and Andy Flower predicted that due to an infection of the wound, Pietersen "would miss this winter's tour of South Africa due to sluggish recovery from surgery."

Pietersen recovered from injury in time to participate in South Africa's 2009-10 winter tour. Nevertheless, his results were much lower than those of his pre-injury range, with an average of just 27. He had several lapses of concentration, prompting some to believe that off-field distractions and lingering problems with his expulsion from the captaincy were still affecting his performance.

Pietersen returned from injury, prompting rumors that Pietersen's England position was in jeopardy. Pietersen returned to much more respectable figures after a crucial first innings of 99 and a series clinching score of 74 not out in the second. England won the series 2–0, and Pietersen finished with total runs of 250 and an average for the series of 83.33.

Following the conclusion of England's tour of Bangladesh, Pietersen joined his Royal Challengers Bangalore team. Pietersen displayed even more signs of a revival in the IPL by scoring 236 runs with a high score of 59.00, the highest in the IPL.

Pietersen was selected in England's 15-man squad for the 2010 ICC World Twenty20 in the West Indies. Pietersen's tournament got off to a rocky start after Rory Kleinveldt was disqualified for duck in a warm-up match. Pietersen got off to a promising 24 from 20 balls in England's first match against the West Indies, before being dismissed on the pull by Darren Sammy. He struggled against Ireland, scoring a slow 9 out of 18 balls. He scored 73* from 52 balls, leading England to a 6 wicket victory. Pietersen scored a 93 runs from 33 runs in the upcoming super eights match against South Africa, resulting in a 94 run partnership with Craig Kieswetter and a 39-run victory for England. He was voted Man of the match by virtue of his appearance.

Pietersen returned to England to be present at his son's birth following the conclusion of this match. Pietersen returned in time for England's semi-final against Sri Lanka, where he scored a crucial 42* from 26 balls, leading England to a 7 wicket victory and a second spot in the first ICC tournament final since the 2004 ICC Champions Trophy. He scored 47 runs from 31 balls in the final against old adversaries Australia, which included 4 fours and 1 six. Pietersen played in a crucial stand of 111 with Kieswetter before holing out to David Warner off the bowling of Steve Smith. Pietersen's knock was instrumental in assisting England in achieving a 7 wicket victory and their first major ICC tournament victory. Pietersen was named man of the series for his crucial contributions to the bat, which culminated in Pietersen's second highest run scorer with 248 runs at an average of 62.77 and a strike rate of 137.77.

Pietersen was involved in the Bangladesh home series but only 18 in the first innings before helping England chase a modest figure of 10*. In the second Test, however, he scored 64 runs. Pietersen's lack of games for Hampshire was highlighted during the Test series, as the Rose Bowl had not played a County Championship since 2005. After making one Twenty20 appearance against Surrey as part of the Bangladesh Test series, it was revealed that he would leave Hampshire, saying that "geographically it just doesn't work." I live in Chelsea. Pietersen played his 100th ODI against Australia at his home ground, the Rose Bowl, on June 22nd.

Pietersen's form in an ODI series against Australia and then a Test series against Pakistan fell off. England defeated Australia 3–2, but Pietersen could only muster a top-score of 33 points. England defeated Pakistan 3-1, and although Pietersen top-scored for England with 80 in the second Test, it was the first time he passed 50 and the series ended with a golden duck. Pietersen's poor form, as well as his admission that he was low on energy before the final Test, led to many in the media, including Geoffrey Boycott, implying that Pietersen could return to action with County Cricket until the 2010-11 Ashes series.

Pietersen was dropped from both England's limited-overs squads against Pakistan. However, the ECB has broken a loan move to Surrey for the remainder of the 2010 English cricket season, allowing him to play first-class cricket, while the England side takes on Pakistan in the limited overs leg of the tour. Pietersen revealed the omission and loan transfer to Surrey early on a Twitter post, but it was quickly deleted, and he apologised the next day. He was chastised online, with national selector Geoff Miller one of those expressing outrage. Pietersen, a photographer, booked two first-class games in the South African competition with the KwaZulu Natal Dolphins in the run-up to the 2010/11 Ashes Series.

Pietersen began the 2010-11 Ashes series without a century since March 2009, and many believed England would be unable to keep the Ashes unless he returned to form. Pietersen scored 43 in the first Test at the Gabba, Brisbane, but was not able in the second as England posted 517–1 declared before a draw was declared.

Pietersen scored his 17th Test century in Adelaide, where he scored 158 on the previous Ashes tour. England revealed on 620–5. He finished with 227, his Test best and his second Test double-century. Pietersen claimed Michael Clarke (80) to leave Australia 238-0 on the fourth day of a rare bowl. England batted Australia out in the final morning to win by an innings and 71 runs, while Pietersen was named man-of-the-match.

In the first ODI at the MCG, Pietersen's result was solid. England's high score of 78 has helped the team achieve a respectable near-300 rating. After Shane Watson's stunning 161 not out, England was beaten by the chasing Australians. After making a first ball duck at Hobart Pietersen's second ODI, his fitness became a problem and he missed the third ODI due to a "groin strain." Despite Pietersen's only 12 with the bat, England prevailed in the fourth ODI. England could make a miraculous comeback to win the series from 3–1 down on January 29. Kevin announced to the world on January 29th. Pietersen scored 40, 29, and 26 respectively in three remaining matches (all England defeats). Australia won the seven match ODI series 6–1.

Pietersen was one of England's 15-man squad for the 2011 World Cup, which was hosted by Bangladesh, India, and Sri Lanka between February and March. He was asked to open the batting in the hopes that he would assume the tournament's entire field. He had only opened the batting for six times in one-day games, but never for England, although he had done so for England A in 2004. Pietersen returned home early due to a back injury. A hernia required immediate surgery and recovery took place about six weeks, meaning he would miss the remainder of the tournament and possibly the IPL. Pietersen was drafted into the squad, but Eoin Morgan took their place in the squad. Pietersen reacted angrily after being spotted in a nightclub in London while injured, but the author denied the allegation as unwarranted.

In May 2011, he recovered from an injury he suffered in his home series against Sri Lanka. Pietersen was also selected to play against India in July 2011, and she scored 202 not out at Lord's in the 1st Test. Pietersen also took home 6,000 runs in Tests during the innings. The feat took just six years, which is the fastest in terms of time taken in terms of distance, and 128 innings. He scored 175 runs and shared a 350-run partnership with Ian Bell in the fourth Test. Pietersen was put on hold for the ODI sequence against the Tests.

Pietersen was instrumental in England's tour of Sri Lanka. Not only did he leap to 20 centuries for England in the second Test of two Tests, but he also threw the series at 1–1, ensuring that England maintains their No. 1 Test Ranking status. Pietersen's new team, the Delhi Daredevils, played in their first match in the 2012 Indian Premier League on April 10th. During the tournament, he scored his maiden century in that style.

Pietersen was fined in May 2012 for a Twitter outburst against ex-England opener Nick Knight. "Can someone please tell me how Knight has made his way into Test commentary box?" he inquired. Despite Cook's attempts to "downplay" the incident, the ECB chose to maintain the fine. Pietersen's second turbulent use of the social media platform following the incident in September 2010 where he announced his own withdrawal from the one-day team for which he was also fined.

Pietersen resigned from one-day international cricket on May 31, 2012. Despite the fact that he wanted to play Twenty20s for England and especially the World Twenty2020 tournament in September 2012, the conditions of his central contract meant he would have to withdraw from both directions. Pietersen said that "with the pace of the international schedule and the growing demands on my body, I think it is time to step back and let the next generation of players come through to gain experience for the World Cup in 2015." England took an unassailable 2–0 lead in the three-Test series, despite his 80 against the West Indies at Trent Bridge. Pietersen's decision on September 9, 2012, however, he reversed his decision and said he will return to ODIs in the future.

Pietersen said that the third and final Test of the series might be his last Test after the second Test against South Africa during the latter's tour of England in 2012, in which Pietersen scored his 21st Test century (149) and tied for the highest bowling figures (3–52). He also addressed issues in the dressing room that needed to be addressed in the same press conference. Accuses of defamatory text messages were sent to members of the South African dressing room in the days that followed, with Strauss and Flower reporting that the messages were sent within.

Pietersen later committed his future to all forms of cricket for England in a YouTube video interview. Despite the team's announcement that he would not have to wait longer, he was ruled out for the third Test after struggling to provide further detail about those messages. Jonny Bairstow took his place.

The ECB reported in October 2012 that they had a process that might have resulted in Pietersen's return to the English cricket team. Pietersen was then chosen as part of the Test squad later this month. Under Cook, he toured India with a winning England team under Cook, scoring 338 runs in four Tests, including a century and two fifties. Pietersen was up to 22 Test hundreds, which was equivalent to England's record in the second of four Tests. Wisden in 2019 named this century as the third best Test innings of the decade. Cook, on the other hand, went on to smash the record by scoring his twentieth century in the same series. Pietersen also featured in the tour's ODI series, scoring 185 runs in a five-match series that resulted in an English loss.

Pietersen appeared in the three-Test series in New Zealand in February 2013, scoring 73 points in the second match. He was forced to miss the return home series in May this year, but it did raise concerns about the upcoming 2013 Ashes series. Despite the fact that he did not play against New Zealand, the ECB was still hopeful about his chances against Australia come the summer. Pietersen was the highest run scorer for England in the third Ashes series match in the first innings on August 3, 2013.

His return to Ashes in the winter of 2013-2014 was less fruitful, however. Pietersen averaged 29 and passed 50 only twice in ten innings in a series in which England lost 5–0. In the first Test, he made his 100th Test appearance. Pietersen was dismantled by a widely reported catch by Chris Sabburg, who took the field as a replacement fielder, after the game. He was also England's top run scorer with 294 runs. During the fifth and final Tests, he was also bowled. There had been a lot of rumors about Pietersen's relationship with the team's leadership before the tour ended, and the fallout had contributed to his dismissal of Flower as head coach. Pietersen had not been chosen for the forthcoming tour of the Caribbean by the ECB on February 4, 2014, a decision that they described as "unanimous." Pietersen's career was over, according to media reports right away. "I'm certainly sad that the incredible journey has come to an end, but I'm also extremely proud of the work we've achieved over the past nine years." Pietersen wrote a note.

Post-playing career and image

Kevin Pietersen's autobiography: Crossing the Boundary was released in early 2007. Kevin Pietersen: Portrait of a Rebel written by journalist Marcus Stead was published in the fall of 2009. This book includes a lengthy account of Pietersen's reign as England captain. In July 2013, Stead's book, now titled 'KP – The Biography,' brought his story up-to-date. KP: The Autobiography was published in October 2014 and was ghost written by Irish sports journalist David Walsh.

Pietersen has expressed admiration for his family's time. He has also expressed regret over his years of being unable to be English" at the expense of his family.

Pietersen is a leading advocate for the protection and conservation of endangered animals in South Africa. In 2018, he opened Umganu Lodge, a luxury resort at the edge of Kruger National Park. The resort serves as both a retreat center and a way to raise greater awareness of endangered animals in South Africa. He also founded Saving Our Rhinos Africa & India (SORAI), an Australian charity that promotes rhinoceros conservation.

Pietersen appeared in the Beast of Man podcast on BBC Radio 5 Live in 2019. The programme chronicled his involvement in combating illicit poaching, particularly in rhinoceros.

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