Melbourne Renegades looking to sign Pietersen for Big Bash League 2 – Cricket News Update
Stuart Coventry, chief executive of the Australian Big Bash League franchise Melbourne Renegades, has confirmed that exiled England batsman http://www.senore.com/Cricket/KP-Pietersen-c1806 is on the team management’s radar, as they look to finalise their list of players prior to the commencement
of the T20 tournament in December this year.
Coventry is due to travel to http://www.senore.com/Cricket/ICC-World-Cup-2011-c100625 World Twenty20 2012 is currently underway, in order to scout talented potential players for the Renegades, and has expressed his eagerness at setting up a meeting with Pietersen, who is working as a TV
pundit at the World Twenty20.
“I'd like to (meet Pietersen), but I think I would want to get an indication first about his availability before talking further,” said Coventry while speaking to the
Melbourne Age, explaining that both the Renegades and the Sydney Sixers were keen to sign Pietersen. “We have three places left on our list and one of them is for an international.
“If he is available we'd love to grab him but there's a lot of curve balls in play at the moment,” he added, going on to explain that Pietersen’s availability, and whether he wished to come to Melbourne or Sydney were issues that were still unclear.
Despite his talent in the T20 format of the game, Pietersen is in exile from the national team as England defend their World T20 title, owing to a tiff with the England and Wales Cricket Board. In addition to being under suspicion for having sent derogatory
texts targeting former Test captain http://www.senore.com/Cricket/England-c56013 dressing room have also surfaced.
However Coventry insisted that the culture and environment at the Melbourne Renegades would allow Pietersen to thrive and give his best on the field.
“From a playing point of view, I think he is one of the best T20 players in the world and we've got a culture in our group that will create the right environment for him to play his best cricket,” said Coventry.
The Renegades were among the less successful teams during the inaugural edition of the Big Bash League last year, finishing second-last on the points table. The team is coached by http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Simon-Grant-Helmot-c90344, the Victorian Bushrangers 2010/11 One Day coach, and captained
by Victorian Bushrangers’ all-rounder http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Andrew-McDonald-c1042.
However, the addition of a known T20 specialist Kevin Pietersen could boost the team’s chances in a major way, as they kick off their second BBL season with a match against the Melbourne Stars, due to be played on December 7 at the Docklands Stadium in Melbourne.
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