Century in test: Batsman Kevin Pietersen wants to play for England until 2016

Batsman Kevin Pietersen

BRISBANE

England batsman Kevin Pietersen says he wants to play for his country until at least the 2015-16 tour of South Africa.

Pietersen, 33, will play his 100th Test in the Ashes opener against Australia, starting on Thursday in Brisbane.

A recurring knee injury had prompted speculation that he might retire at the end of the series, but he has set his sights on the 2015 World Cup, another home Ashes series, and beyond.

“As long as the body goes well, I’m good for it,” said Pietersen.

Pietersen made his international debut in 2004, has starred in four Ashes series victories and helped England win the World Twenty20 in 2010.

He is England’s leading run-scorer across all international formats with 13,503, but still has two goals he wants to fulfil.

“I had coffee with (England one-day coach) Ashley Giles and said to him - I want to be with you in 2015.

“I’ve been so lucky to have done everything with this great side. We won the Twenty20 World Cup, have beaten Australia home and away and beaten India in India. The only thing that hasn’t been ticked is beating everybody in a World Cup 50-over tournament.

Player commitments

“I would love to be given that opportunity and I’m committed to Ashley and the England side to get there. Also, I haven’t got home and away hundreds against every side — South Africa is the one I haven’t got away from home — that is in 2015-16 so as long as the body goes well I’m good for it.”

Apart from having an English mother, Pietersen link with England as a youth, as he recounts it, was wearing the white jersey in the not-so-playful rugby matches against his brothers. The four boys wore different jerseys — South Africa, Australia, England and France.

Two days ahead of the Ashes series opener in Brisbane, Pietersen was asked which country he’d dreamed of representing when he was growing up in Natal, South Africa.

Cricket destiny

“You’re not going to believe this, I had an England jersey on whenever we played rugby on the front lawn,” he said, “And you can ask my brothers.” The Pietersen brothers, as it transpired, just happened to be en route to Brisbane.

“I know it’s a leading question,” he continued, after pausing for effect. “No, where I’ve ended up I would never have dreamt it, but I’m so lucky and so proud to be where I am.”

He left South Africa for England as a disgruntled teen because “I wanted to chase my dream of playing international sport”. Now, he’s set to become just the 10th England player to earn 100 test caps.

“It was the furthest thing from my mind thinking that I’d ever play for England, let alone play as much as I’ve played,” he said. “We grew up incredibly competitive ... it was an incredibly tough upbringing. Competition was all that mattered.

“I went to England as a spin bowler, I turned out to be a batter. So I can’t sit here and say I wanted to bat No 3, or 4, or 5 and wanted to score 10,000 test runs, or whatever I’ve got, it just fell into place. I don’t know.”

The arrival of the larger-than-life Pietersen in the test squad in 2005 coincided with England’s resurgence, particularly against old foe Australia.     

— Agencies