http://www.senore.com/Cricket/KP-Pietersen-c1806 announces retirement from ODIs and T20s – Cricket News Update
England’s star batsman, Kevin Pietersen, has announced his retirement from One Day Internationals (ODI) and T20I but said that he will continue to play Test cricket for his country.
The hard-hitting batsman is considered to be one of the greats of modern-day sport and the news of his sudden retirement has come as a shock for the cricket fans all around the world.
The 31-year-old cricketer has gone through a number of controversies since the last couple of years and his terms with the English and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) have not been ideal.
Pietersen is one of those very few English cricketers who played the fifth season of the Indian Premier League (IPL), although, ECB does not encourage its players to take part in the glamorous event. During the tournament, the lanky batsman openly criticised
English officials for opposing IPL.
While announcing his retirement, the right-handed batsman expressed he is in his 30s now and his body does not allow him to play too much cricket. This is the reason why he is going to limit himself to five-day cricket only and has paved way for the upcoming
youngsters.
"With the intensity of the international schedule and the increasing demands on my body, I think it is the right time to step aside and let the next generation of players come through to gain experience for the World Cup in 2015," Pietersen said.
With more than 12 thousand runs in international sport, Pietersen is extremely satisfied with his career and vows to keep on delivering the goods for England in Test cricket.
"I am immensely proud of my achievements in the one-day game but still wish to be considered for selection for England in Test cricket,” he added.
Pietersen will continue to play IPL and it is a huge shame for the game that it has lost a player of his calibre in limited-overs internationals at an age of 31, which is not much for a batsman.
His decision is a massive blow for http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Sri-Lanka-c758 in September, and England are the defending champions.
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