England Batsman Kevin Pietersen to play for Surrey in the 2011 home season
Batsman Kevin Pietersen had already told reporters of his plans to leave http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Hampshire-c789 late in last year’s season, and he was penalized by not being selected often to play. As a result the player joined Surrey on loan. The 30-year old player is now with Surrey
for good.
Pietersen is now in Australia, where he is with the England team in preparation for the upcoming Ashes series. "I'm delighted to be playing for Surrey next season, as I really enjoyed my time with them this year," he told the BBC.
The South African born player had been cut from the national team during the one day series against http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Surrey-c851, and had a brief spell playing for the South Africa's Kwazulu Natal
Dolphins, while paying special attention to form in advance of the Test in http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Australia-c746.
Averaging over 54 in the longer version in Australia, Pietersen has had a dry spell of late and has not hit a Test century since his spring 2009 test in the http://www.senore.com/Cricket/West-Indies-c760.
Pieterson told the BBC that he has high hopes for the 2011 season, "I hope I can get some games in over the summer and spend time at this great club, meeting more of the staff and supporters,” he said, concluding that he is excited to reconnect with his
teammates on his return from the Ashes test.
Surrey chief executive, Paul Sheldon told BBC London 94.9, that he had been in touch with Pieterson’s England managers to ensure that the player spends enough time on the home front.
Sheldon hopes that Pieterson will spend more time in England because it will improve Surrey’s game, "Kevin Pietersen is a star, in cricketing terms he's a giant of a man and I think it's going to help us hugely both on and off the field," he told the news
agency.
The executive went on to say that he expects Pieterson to play in a championship match towards the end of the World Cup, prior to when the Test matches begin in the spring. He said that he has requested the player’s England managers to release him for some
of the Twenty20 matches at home as well.
Sheldon speculated that having Pieterson play for Surry as much as possible this season is one of his priorities, "He's bubbling with enthusiasm; he's obviously very excited about the Ashes as well. But I know that coming to Surrey County Cricket Club is
very important to him and it's very important to us too."
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