LONDON: Kevin Pietersen does not warrant a recall to the England team despite apparent support from incoming ECB chief Colin Graves, according to former skipper Nasser Hussain.

Pietersen was sacked by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) last year but England’s dreadful start to the World Cup has inevitably raised debate over whether the 34-year-old could still play a role.

“I’ve always believed in picking the best side, then managing it,” Hussain said in the Daily Mail.

“But I feel there’s too much baggage with KP now. Also, he’s not the player he once was. If he was 24, rather than 34, you might give him another go.

“The focus should be on England’s one-day team, not Pietersen.”

Pietersen appeared to have severed any chance of returning to international cricket following the release of his controversial autobiography last year, but in an interview with the BBC, Graves refused to rule out Pietersen’s return.

“The first thing he has to do if he wants to get back is start playing county cricket,” Graves said. “The selectors and the coaches are not going to pick him if he’s not playing, it’s as simple as that.”

Pietersen, who scored 8,181 Test runs and 4,422 one-day runs, told British media he was excited about the development, but the ECB later issued a statement that appeared to pour cold water on the chances of his reinstatement.

Hussain also called on one-day captain Eoin Morgan to concentrate on what he does best as England seek to avoid an embarrassing early exit from the World Cup, having already been thrashed by Australia, New Zealand and Sri Lanka.

They must beat Afghanistan and Bangladesh to reach the last eight.

Published in Dawn, March 4th, 2015

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