Former England captain Kevin Pietersen calls time on cricket career
Former England cricketer Kevin Pietersen brought down the curtains on his glorious cricketing career with a series of messages on social media. The 37-year-old, who was a part of the 2018 Pakistan Super League, decided not to travel with the Quetta Gladiators to Lahore for the playoffs. Here are some interesting facts about his record-breaking cricket career.
Pietersen announces retirement from cricket
Pietersen's Test career in numbers
Kevin was one of the finest cricketers to have represented the England Test Team. He played 104 Tests for the Three Lions since making his debut against Australia at Lord's in 2005. Pietersen scored 8,181 runs at an average of 47.28. In his career, the right-handed batsman scored 23 centuries and 35 fifties for England.
Pietersen had a successful career with England
Pietersen represented England in 136 ODIs, scoring 4,440 runs at an average of 40.73. He slammed 9 hundreds and 25 fifties. The T20 specialist played 37 T20Is scoring 1,176 runs at an amazing average of 37.93.
Pietersen became a T20 specialist after exile
Pietersen has been globetrotting, playing across T20 leagues after his unceremonious exit from the England national team. He was sacked from the England national side in 2014 after he was told that captain Alastair Cook could not trust and rely on him. In his career, Pietersen has played 200 T20s scoring 5,695 runs at an average on 33.89.
Pietersen switched his nationality
Pietersen was born in South Africa to an English mother and a South African father in 1980. He made his first-class debut as a teen in 1997 for KwaZulu-Natal and then moved to England in 2000. Since he played cricket for four seasons of county cricket, he eventually qualified to play for the England national team. Clearly, South Africa's loss became England's gain!
Pietersen destroyed South Africa in the 2005 series
He made his England debut against Zimbabwe in an ODI and earned himself a spot for the tour of South Africa, his home nation. He destroyed South Africa with 3 centuries and a fifty in a 7 match ODI series, averaging 151.33.
KP's Test debut series was a memorable one
KP made his Test debut for England in the Ashes series against Australia at the Lord's in 2005. In his debut match, he scored back-to-back fifties. He scored his first ton in the final Test of the series. KP was the leading run-scorer in the series, which helped England reclaim the Ashes for the first times in close to two decades.
Only player to win the ICC double awards
KP equalled the record held by Vivian Richards, by becoming the fastest player to reach 1,000 ODI runs. Both of them needed just 21 innings. In 2005, his heroics were recognised by the ICC and he won both ODI Player of the Year and Emerging Player of the Year awards. He is still the only cricketer to achieve the double.
