Kevin Pietersen who is playing for Quetta Gladiators in the Pakistan Super League has cited personal reasons for not travelling to Pakistan for the final leg of the tournament. 

In a video message on Twitter, Pietersen said family considerations are behind his decision not to travel to Pakistan, and requested the fans to respect his decision.

“It’s with a very sorry heart that I have to leave Dubai and go back to London now. I wish I could travel [to Pakistan], but unfortunately [it’s my] family’s decision, and [my family] is important to me. I hope you can respect my decision and my family’s decision not to travel [to Pakistan],” he said.

The 37-year-old expressed his best wishes for Quetta Gladiators.“We have an opportunity to win this [PSL], we really do. We are still in this competition. So please support the Purple Team. I will keep supporting the Purple Team. Third time lucky, remember!”The Purple Team will do it, hopefully. Inshallah!” he added.

Pietersen leaves the sport as England's second highest run-scorer across all formats of the game combined. In 104 Tests for England, he scored 8,181 runs at an average of 47.28 with 23 centuries and 35 fifties.

In 136 ODIs, he hit 4,440 runs with nine centuries and 25 half-centuries. He also appeared in 37 T20Is, scoring 1,176 runs with seven half-centuries.