Kevin Pietersen faced the prospect of disciplinary action after announcing via social networking site Twitter on Tuesday he’d been dropped from England’s squad for the upcoming Twenty20 and one-day internationals against Pakistan.
The news was confirmed several hours later when the squads were announced formally by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB).
Pietersen could be in trouble for revealing squad details before the official announcement, with an ECB spokesperson saying: “We are considering the circumstances surrounding it [Pietersen’s Twitter post].”
The 30-year-old batsman was clearly unhappy at the decision, telling followers on his account kevinpp24: “Done for rest of summer!! Man of the World Cup T20 and dropped from the T20 side too. It’s a fxxx up.”
In a post cut short, seemingly because of Twitter’s 140 character limit, Pietersen added: “Surrey have signed me for l … (blank).”
But Pietersen’s season was far from “done”.
The ECB announced he would spend the rest of the season on loan at Surrey and he will be available for their 40-over match at home to Worcestershire at The Oval on Wednesday.
England have asked Hampshire, Pietersen’s county side, to play him in a couple of fixtures this season.
But with Pietersen having made it clear he would be leaving Hampshire at the end of the season, the southern side have refused to select the South Africa-born batsman.
More conciliatory mood
In the ECB squad announcement statement, Pietersen was in far more conciliatory mood than he had been in his Twitter post.
“While I’m naturally disappointed to have been omitted from the England squad I fully understand the reasons why and will be doing everything I can to get back into the England team.
“I have no issue with the selectors omitting me from the limited overs squads and my sole focus now is working on my game ahead of an exciting winter,” he added ahead of England’s defence of the Ashes in Australia.
“I would also like to add my huge thanks to Surrey for giving me this opportunity and I hope I can repay them with some runs.”
England national selector Geoff Miller said: “Kevin Pietersen has been omitted from both squads as we feel that his game would be best served by getting as much cricket under his belt as possible before a long and challenging winter.”
Surrey chief executive Paul Sheldon was delighted Pietersen would be playing for The Oval-based club, saying: “We are very pleased to be in a position to have agreed to the ECB’s request to assist Kevin’s return to form.”
Pietersen has never been dropped, when fit, from an international side since his England career started in 2004.
But the former captain has struggled for runs this English season and managed just one fifty, a scratchy innings of 80 in the second Test against Pakistan at Edgbaston.
Pietersen, out for a duck in England’s innings and 225-run win in the fourth and final Test at Lord’s, where the hosts’ victory saw them to a 3-1 series win, was man of the series in the team’s victorious World Twenty20 campaign in the Caribbean this year.
Australia batsman Phillip Hughes was reprimanded for revealing on Twitter he had been left out of the side for the third Ashes Test at Edgbaston last year while Yorkshire duo Tim Bresnan and Azeem Rafiq have both been disciplined for expletive-filled Tweets.
England are scheduled to play Pakistan in two Twenty20 internationals, in Cardiff, on Sunday and Tuesday, and five one-day matches.
The series are set to take place against a backdrop of “spot-fixing” allegations engulfing Pakistan after a British newspaper claimed they’d bowled no-balls to order during last week’s fourth Test against England at Lord’s. — Sapa-AFP