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Watson 'sad' at Pietersen snub

Allrounder says fans the real losers in England stance on controversial batsman

Australia allrounder and new Sydney Thunder signing Shane Watson says it's "incredibly sad" for cricket fans that Kevin Pietersen is being denied the opportunity to play for England in the upcoming Ashes series.

The controversial batsman is not being considered for England selection because of "massive trust issues", according to new England director of cricket and former captain Andrew Strauss.

"It's incredibly sad for the cricket-loving public not to be able to see Kevin Pietersen while he's still at his best," Watson said on Friday.

"Whether playing against him or not, I think it's part of the duty of world cricket to be able to have the best players playing the game while they are still at their best.

"For me it's very disappointing because I love watching him bat, (just) not against us."

Watson, who has just completed an Indian Premier League stint with the Rajasthan Royals, is home for the impending birth of his second child before heading out to Australia's two-Test tour of the West Indies.

Quick Single: Watson joins Sydney Thunder

Watson, having played just one KFC T20 Big Bash League match for the Brisbane Heat in three seasons, today signed on with the Sydney Thunder.

However, he said he wants to continue playing all three forms of the game for Australia and says winning an away Ashes series is a huge motivating factor for the older members of the squad.