Pietersen set for Surrey return.
After a period of uncertainty for the former England batsman, Kevin Pietersen has secured an extension to his time at Surrey, with a deal which will see him primarily feature in the Natwest T20 Blast competition.
Once the news emerged that the ECB had sacked Pietersen, debate over his future was as much of a grey area as the decision to sack him in the first place.
One of the most flamboyant players in the game of late, Pietersen had a number of options including the IPL, KFC Big Bash and even perhaps retirement, but his return to county cricket will keep him in the game beyond his international career, which has taken a sour twist of late.
Surrey won the inaugural T20 competition and have reached finals day on four other occasions, but since 2003 have been unable to add to their initial success, making Pietersen's presence a vital part of their bid for silverware.
The top-order batsman also made it apparent to his Twitter following that: "This is a T20 contract, but I can play in the County Championship too," which would give him an important role to play at Surrey, following their relegation last season.
The Director of Cricket Alec Stewart said “We are delighted to have agreed terms with Kevin, and to have a player of his ability at the Kia Oval.
"Unsurprisingly there was a great deal of interest in Kevin from around the world, but he has made it very clear that he wants to play at Surrey and it is not only good news for the Club but for the domestic game in this country.
"We are now looking forward to watching him in the middle, scoring a bucket load of runs for Surrey.”
Similarly elated by the decision, Kevin Pietersen added “I’m absolutely delighted to have agreed terms with Surrey and am thoroughly looking forward to playing my cricket for the Club this summer.
“I’ve had some of my best moments in cricket at the Kia Oval and I’m really excited at the prospect of getting back out there playing in what will hopefully be a brilliant summer for us all at Surrey.”
Turbulent spells at Nottinghamshire, Hampshire and most recently with the England squad have led many to believe that his disruptive attitude is detrimental to the rest of the team, but this remains to be seen at Surrey.
Pietersen's Surrey and former England team mate, Chris Tremlett had this to say:
Certainly, his destructive capabilities will make him one-to-watch this season, and if he lives up to expectation he will, as Tremlett mentions, be giving the opposition much to think about.
His International T20 record speaks volumes, with 1,176 runs in 37 appearances for England at an average of 37.93.
Pietersen was, in many ways, one of the pioneers and remains to be a key figure in the shortest format of the game. His potential to hit the ball, combined with his ability to play his 'switch-hit' shot make him one of the most entertaining players to watch when he is on form.
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