MELBOURNE: Kevin Pietersen will play for the Melbourne Stars next season in Australia’s Twenty20 Big Bash League.

Stars coach Greg Shipperd says the 34-year-old Pietersen “is a proven competitor and I am confident that he will revel in the fiercely competitive atmosphere of the BBL and will be especially at home at the,” Melbourne Cricket Ground.

Pietersen was dropped by England after the 5-0 Ashes defeat in Australia last season, despite having one of the better averages among the English batsmen in the series and being the country’s all-time leading international run-scorer.

The Stars have reached the semifinals in the first three editions of the BBL. Pietersen says he’ll arrive in Australia in early December, about two weeks before the Stars’ season-opening match on Dec 20.

Published in Dawn, July 29th, 2014