Cricket: Kevin Pietersen casts doubts on England Test future

By David Clough
Published on 07/08/2012 00:12

KEVIN Pietersen last night escalated his contractual stand-off with England by proclaiming next week’s final Test at Lord’s may be his last.

Pietersen held vexed negotiations with his employers at the England and Wales Cricket Board before his shock retirement from all limited-overs international cricket was announced in June.

It seems the 32-year-old may be nearing a premature end to his Test career too, though.

Pietersen followed his man-of-the-match performance in the drawn second Investec Test at Headingley yesterday with a startling press conference in which he made it clear he may well not play beyond the final match of three against South Africa at Lord’s next week. He refused to set a deadline for a breakthrough in negotiations, or a settlement of “other issues” in the England dressing room.

But with England’s annual central players’ contracts set to be signed next month, time is pressing. Asked if the Lord’s Test could be his last, the South Africa-born batsman said: “Anything’s possible.”

Soon after ending his limited-overs career, Pietersen admitted he was in talks with the England and Wales Cricket board to reverse his decision. However, the right-hander has since claimed England’s international schedule was still a major hurdle in any possible return.

He had initially wanted to call time only on 50-over cricket and carry on in Twenty20, but the terms of ECB central contracts prevent players picking and choosing their formats.