AUS vs ENG 2018: Kevin Pietersen open to help England Cricket

Pietersen played 173 ODIs for England.

Pietersen will play his final BBL match on January 27. (Getty)

Kevin Pietersen, former England captain will draw the line to his career after appearing in the Big Bash League for one final time on January 27. Post that, he is ready to help the England Cricket team if needed, says Pietersen. 

"Of course it would be nice to have a connection," he said. "I have an incredible amount to offer. It is wasted that English cricketers do not benefit. They still come to me and ask for help. That is happening and I love that. To be involved with this young one-day set up would be nice. I would like some involvement because I love the way they play. It is so good.

"I just love the attacking nature. It is brilliant to see they are playing the way we should always have been playing. We have always had the players, it was the system. It is lovely they have a free reign to go out there and fail which is magnificent". 

Pietersen retired controversially from his England career after all the allegations he had to suffer post-England's humiliating series defeat back in 2014. Many felt he was targeted by the board as the person responsible for the series defeat. 

Pietersen since his international retirement has been playing franchise T20 cricket across the world. He is a firm believer in investing time as much as you can in the sport. 

"If you have free-to-air then it is going to be a massive hit," he said. "We get 1.2 million people watching (Big Bash League) games every night. It is incredible. You are not going to get those numbers on satellite television" he said regarding the BBL of which he has been a part since its inception. 

"Guys like (Joe) Root, (Ben) Stokes and (Jos) Buttler should be big stars. They should be able to walk down the street and everyone recognize them, but they don't. What I've realized is that you think you are a big wig in the cricketing world but when you jump away from it nobody knows who the hell you are. You get so caught up in the cricket bubble." he said regarding three main men from the England ODI side currently. 

"I am finishing with Big Bash," he said. "I can't see myself coming back here and wanting to play another season of Big Bash. My body is starting to ache and I am really not enjoying the fielding side. It is starting to really get on me. I have a couple of tournaments left that I am fully committed to but I can't see myself in ten months time wanting to play cricket" 

"I am aware of how lucky I am to have played one Test match. I may have worn the bravado and tried to act super-confident, but I have never ever forgotten whenever I've gone through bad times that I am an off-spinner who could not hold a bat aged 18. It will be a celebration. I have loved my career. I will not shed a tear over something that has been so cool" concluded Pietersen. 

 
 

By Anshuman Roy - 26 Jan, 2018

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