New Delhi: Former England batsman Kevin Pietersen has admitted that he is thinking of returning to International Cricket, this time playing for his native South Africa.
Pietersen will become eligible to play for South Africa, the country of his birth, in early 2018.
Kevin, was born in Pietermaritzburg, had left South Africa 16 years ago and started practicing cricket in England. Making his Test debut during the 2005 Ashes series against Australia, Pietersen made 8181 runs in 104 tests with an average of 47.28 for England in his career.
The aggressive middle-order English batsman was sacked by the England Cricket Board (ECB) after Australia whitewashed England 5-0 in the 2013-14 Ashes series.
The flamboyant T20 specialist said that he has a thought of playing for South African team
"Yes, it is a thought in my head. If it happens, it happens; if it doesn't, it doesn't," he said.
Pietersen, who is currently representing the debutants Rising Pune Supergiants in the Indian Premier League 2016, further added, “Obviously, playing international is something I have done for a very long time. Do I miss playing international cricket? Do I miss batting in international cricket? Yes I do, very much, so you never know.”
Affirming his thought of playing for the Proteas, Pietersen said, “The eligibility for South Africa is still (over) a year away. So we will have to wait and see but it is definitely still an option.”
The ex-England batsman will turn 37 by the time he is eligible for playing for South Africa but his words clearly show that he has no thought of taking retirement from Cricket.
“An English call-up is definitely still an option. I am in a great frame of mind now,” he said.
