Kevin Pietersen likely to retire from Test cricket

The 32-year-old South Africa-born batsman had already announced retirement from limited-overs cricket in May due to heretic one-day schedule.

“I can’t give any assurances that the next Test won’t be my last. I’d like to carry on but there are obstacles that need to be worked out. There are other points I’m trying to sort out in the dressing room,“ Pietersen said after collecting the man of the match award for his all-round performance in the second Test at Headingley.

Pietersen played a marvelous innings of 149 in the first innings and claimed three wickets in Proteas second innings.

“It would be a huge shame. I love playing Test cricket for England, but we’ll see. For me, the saddest part about all this is that the spectators just love watching me play and I love playing for England,” said Pietersen.

Pietersen’s impending Test retirement is largely seen in the prospective of his willingness to play full part in next year’s lucrative IPL that conflicts with England’s home Test series against New Zealand. However he denied the speculation that he was motivated by money.

“This is not a money issue. The politics is what I have to deal with personally. It’s tough being me playing for England,” he said. “There’s always speculation. There’s speculation every single day. You guys speculate about my life all day every day. I’m going to make some decisions that will make me very happy.”

Pietersen also lashed out ECB officials and media for leaking the details of his negotiations with country board and insisted that it would be tough for him to play for his adopted country again.

“I never spoke a single word about anything that happened behind closed doors, or what I thought was closed doors,” he said.

“The politics is what I have to deal with personally. It’s tough being me and playing for England, it’s tough.”