‘Ciao, cricket!’ Pietersen hints his career is over after opting out of PSL in Pakistan
The Sharjah Cricket Stadium appears to have been the scene of the final match of Kevin Pietersen’s colourful career after the former England batsman posted cryptic tweets following Quetta Gladiators’ match against Islamabad United in the Pakistan Super League on Friday.
Pietersen, 37, who has been publicly edging to retirement over recent months, was dismissed for only seven runs in Quetta’s six-wicket defeat, although they still progressed to the knockout stages after finishing fourth in the group stage behind Islamabad, Karachi Kings and Peshawar Zalmi.
Having played all of their PSL matches so far in Sharjah and Dubai, Quetta will now return to Pakistan to face Peshawar at the Gaddafi Stadium on Tuesday – and Pietersen has opted not to travel with the rest of the squad to Lahore.
In a video posted on the Quetta Gladiators’ official Twitter feed, Pietersen said: “Hi guys, it is with a very hardened heart, a very sorry heart, that I have to leave Dubai, going back to London now.
“I wish I could travel but unfortunately family’s very important. Family decision, and I hope that you can respect my decision and my family’s decision not to travel.”
Pietersen, 37, posted a brief Tweet on Friday night which appeared to hint at retirement, saying: “BOOTS UP. Thank you.”
Pietersen then posted a picture on his Instagram account with his feet up on a plane with the message: “Boots up! Feet up! Family, animals, golf!”
Yesterday he wrote on the social media site: “Ciao, cricket! I love this game”.
Pietersen said he would continue to support Quetta as they looked to win the tournament after losing the final the past two years.
“I’ll be totally on top of everything we do over the next couple of days,” he said. “Third time lucky, remember.”
Quetta tweeted in response: “You will be missed @KP24 Great career!! Thank you for everything. Wish you could stayed with us till PSL final but we respect your decision.”
A T20 specialist since his high-profile England exile in the wake of the catastrophic 2013/14 Ashes series in Australia, Pietersen has been saying farewell wherever he has gone over the past year.
The South Africa-born batsman played his final professional match in England with Surrey last summer and bid farewell to Australia’s Big Bash League with the Melbourne Stars in January.
England’s second-highest run scorer across all three forms of the game, Pietersen won four Ashes series and hit 8,181 runs in 104 Tests.
His international career ended acrimoniously, never playing for England again after a high-profile falling out following the Ashes whitewash four years ago.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) yesterday fined Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan over his aggressive behaviour during a thrilling Twenty20 match against Sri Lanka.
The sport’s world governing body said Shakib pleaded guilty to the charge of “conduct that is contrary to the spirit of the game” at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Friday.
He was also assessed a demerit point.
Bangladesh beat Sri Lanka by two wickets in the ill-tempered match to reach the final of the tri-nation tournament.
The incident involving Shakib took place after the second ball of the final over of the Bangladesh innings when he came to the edge of the boundary and asked his batsmen to come off the field.
The Bangladesh team alleged that the square-leg umpire had signalled a no-ball and then changed his decision, prompting Shakib to call the batsmen back to the pavilion.
Reserve player Nurul Hasan, who was sent on to the field with a message from the Bangladesh dressing room, was also involved in a spat with Sri Lankan captain Thisara Perera.
Nurul also pleaded guilty to unruly behaviour and was also fined 25 per cent of his match fee and awarded one demerit point.
ICC match referee Chris Broad said Friday’s incidents were disappointing, and the penalties were imposed without a formal hearing because the players did not contest the charges.
“I understand that it was ... tense and an edge-of-the-seat match with [a] place in the final on the line, but the actions of the two players were unacceptable and cannot be condoned as they clearly went overboard,” Broad said.
“Had the fourth umpire not stopped Shakib and the fielders remonstrating, and then the on-field umpires not intervened between Nurul and Thisara, things could have become worse.”
Shakib had led protests against the umpires when the second ball of the final over was deemed legitimate despite Sri Lanka’s Isuru Udana bowling two bouncers. A bowler can bowl only one bouncer – above shoulder height to the batsman – in limited-overs cricket, but the decision lies with the umpire.
Needing 12 to win off the last six balls, Mustafizur Rahman was run out on the second delivery and there was pandemonium when Shakib gestured to his batsmen to come off the field. The batsmen stayed put, however, and Mahmudullah steered the Tigers to a thrilling win with a six off the penultimate ball.
Bangladesh will face India in the final of the tri-series, which has been organised to celebrate the 70th anniversary of Sri Lanka’s independence from Britain.