LONDON: Kevin Pietersen took another step towards a possible return to the England team by signing for Surrey on Wednesday, giving the country’s most controversial player two months in English county cricket to impress selectors before the Ashes series

The 34-year-old former England captain and batsman has made no secret of his hopes for an international recall having being sacked by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) last year.

Pietersen, who has been partly released from his commitments with Indian Premier League (IPL) outfit Sunrisers Hyderabad, will be available for all forms of cricket, starting with Surrey’s opening county championship fixture on April 19.

“I’m absolutely thrilled to be back at Surrey. It’s a club very close to my heart and Alec Stewart, Graham Ford and everyone at the club has been exceptionally supportive,” Pietersen said on Surrey’s website. “There is a fantastic group of lads here and hopefully we can deliver what the great Surrey fans want to see — lots of runs and comprehensive victories.”

Pietersen, who scored 8,181 runs in 104 Tests for England and also won 136 one-day caps, was sacked after England’s 5-0 Ashes whitewash in Australia last year.

Published in Dawn, March 26th, 2015

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