Kevin Pietersen eyeing return to international cricket with South Africa

[[JUGRAJ SINGH]]

His England career may be done and dusted with, but Kevin Pietersen has admitted that he's eyeing a return to international cricket with South Africa, the country of his birth. However, he added that there's more than a year to go before possibility can even arise.

"Yes, it is a thought in my head," he said on Saturday (April 9). "If it happens, it happens; if it doesn't, it doesn't. 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."

By the time Pietersen becomes eligible to play for South Africa, he'll be 37-years-old. "The eligibility for South Africa is still (over) a year away. So we will have to wait and see, but it (an English call-up) is definitely still an option," he said. "I am in a great frame of mind now. I enjoy myself and don't take life too seriously.

"I still train hard and love batting, I love practicing my batting, I love the art of batting. It may not guarantee me getting runs, but it gives me a good chance to get runs. I am very lucky that I have played international cricket for 10 years and over 100 Test matches."

Pietersen was snubbed from the England squad after the 2014 Ashes series in Australia, one that England lost 5-0. The batsman was guilty of criticising Alastair Cook, England's Test captain, and Andy Flower, the then head coach. All Pietersen could manage in the fifth and final Test was scores of 3 and 6. After he was dismissed in the Test, he returned to the dressing room and started whistling. It was perceived that the batsman didn't care about his place in the squad.

Although the axe from the England side came in 2014, things started going pear shaped for Pietersen in 2012 after it was alleged that he sent a number of messages to the South African players discussing Strauss's weakness.

He is playing in the Indian Premier League for the Rising Pune Supergiants after his IPL stint last year was cut short. The flamboyant batsman decided to skip the tournament and play for Surrey in order to boost chances of his return to international cricket with England. But when the offer to make the return didn't come, with Andrew Strauss, Director of cricket (ECB) ruling out the possibility, Pietersen went to Australia to take part in the Big Bash League. He also took part in the inaugural Pakistan Super League, Ram Slam T20, Caribbean Premier League and the T20 League Blast in the past 12 months.