Kevin Pietersen

England
batsman Kevin Pietersen has
come out fighting after his ODI
future was called into question,
insisting that he wants to play
every international game.
Pietersen, who was part of
England's Test and Twenty20
squads, has been rested from the
ongoing five-match ODI series
against India.
"I've got two Twenty20s versus
the West Indies later this month
at The Oval and then we leave on
October 3 for the one-day series
in India, which is five ODIs and a
Twenty20. I'd love to play in all six
games in India," the Daily Mail
quoted Pietersen, as saying.
"You can never say you won't
have an injury or that you're a
dead cert for selection, but I'd
love to play in every game, of
course," he added.
The 31-year-old also reckons that
the 'rest' given to him by the
selectors will help England's quest
to retain the No.1 ranking in Test
and gain the top spot in one-day
cricket.
"There's no doubt that England's
success is also partly down to the
fact that the players are rested
when they can. International
cricket can be a constant slog. I
think India have got to that point
now," Pietersen said.
"The demands on the top players,
especially if they play all three
forms of international cricket, are
immense. Maybe that's why we
haven't quite got there yet in one-
day cricket. But we're working on
it," he added.
Pietersen has hit just one
hundred and two fifties in his last
30 ODI innings since November
2008.
Earlier, England ODI skipper
Alastair Cook had also declined to
confirm if Pietersen would be
selected in the squad when they
visit India next autumn.
"KP is a world-class player and we
have said that as part of the
management of players'
workloads, he is being rested for
this series. It's all part of the
programme to look after people
who play all three forms of the
game, but there is no guarantee
for anyone," Cook had said.