England have been warned they would be “foolish” to give up on Kevin Pietersen’s hopes of a Test return, as he bids to restate his case with Surrey.
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It was the understanding of IPL franchise Sunrisers Hyderabad, who agreed to release him from the majority of his contract, that allowed the record-breaking batsman to complete his negotiations for a new deal with Surrey.
Advice for England is forthcoming from the Sunrisers coach Tom Moody, who was not about to stand in the way of Pietersen’s attempt to revive his famous if controversial international career. Moody believes – as long as the 34-year-old makes a success of his return to The Oval, and demonstrates his continued fitness – England cannot afford to ignore him.
BREAKING: Kevin Pietersen joins Surrey and is available for opening game of County Championship season #SSNHQ pic.twitter.com/u6j2dvYXFm
— Sky Sports News HQ (@SkySportsNewsHQ) March 25, 2015
And Surrey sense Pietersen’s dream of an England recall in time for this summer’s Ashes in July, having been sacked after the whitewash defeat in Australia, can work significantly to their advantage.
The potential gain for Surrey director of cricket Alec Stewart is the Sunrisers’ loss, although Pietersen will join them for the brief IPL knockout stages, should they progress that far.
Moody said: “A player of such stature on and off the field is a big loss to any side, particularly given he’s got so much to prove, and had such a good ‘Big Bash’. It’s disappointing, but we also recognise his personal situation and I don’t think you can ever step in the way of anyone’s real desire to want to continue their international dream.”
There have been very mixed messages from the England and Wales Cricket Board about Pietersen’s chances of resuming his Test career but Moody insists they would be wise to give him a chance.
“There’s a lot of water that has to pass under the bridge first, and that includes him showing he’s going to be regularly fit for long periods of time,” he said. “He needs to also prove his form.
“If you put those two things together, I think England would be foolish not to consider him. “You can’t help but admire his motivation to try to scale Everest again in Test cricket.”
Stewart is certainly happy to welcome Pietersen back, for what is initially a contract for LV= County Championship cricket. He said: “He has ambitions to play for England – and to do that, or even be considered, he has to score big runs. That’s why we’ve signed him.”
