England legend confirms retirement speculation via social media after earlier alluding his playing days might be done
KP calls time on cricket career
England legend Kevin Pietersen has confirmed his retirement from cricket via social media after pulling out of the Quetta Gladiators' playoff campaign in the Pakistan Super League.
The former England batsman, who has been quite publicly edging closer to retirement over recent months, set tongues wagging with the cryptic tweet: "BOOTS UP. Thank you."
BOOTS UP! Thank you! 😍%E2%80%94 Kevin Pietersen (@KP24) March 16, 2018
The 37-year-old followed up the Tweet several hours later confirming that he was referring to the end of his cricket career.
Just been told that I scored 30000+ runs which included 152 fifty’s & 68 hundreds in my professional career.
%E2%80%94 Kevin Pietersen (@KP24) March 17, 2018
Time to move on! pic.twitter.com/zMSIa3FK6K
Pietersen, who has been travelling the world as a T20 specialist for the past four years, was contracted to the Quetta Gladiators in the ongoing Pakistan Super League.
However as the playoffs move to Pakistan from the United Arab Emirates, the club posted a video of Pietersen announcing he wouldn't be travelling with the team due to family reasons.
You will be missed @KP24
%E2%80%94 Quetta Gladiators (@TeamQuetta) March 17, 2018
Great career!!
Thank you for everything. Wish you could stayed with us till PSL final but we respect your decision. pic.twitter.com/J84LYVNHgd
The announcement sparked an outpouring of well-wishing from old teammates for the mercurial, and often controversial, England star - many professing him to be the most talented batsman they ever saw.
Well done @KP24 on an fantastic career ... Not everyone’s Cup of Tea but you will do for me ... Best Batsman I had the pleasure to play with ... 1st England batsman that put fear into the Aussies .. #WellDone
%E2%80%94 Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan) March 16, 2018
Absolute pleasure Kelv. Most talented batter I ever saw, Greater guy, go well as I know you will..
%E2%80%94 Simon Jones MBE (@si610) March 16, 2018
Well done Kidda 👋👋👋👋what a career 🏏
%E2%80%94 Darren Gough (@DGoughie) March 16, 2018
Pietersen has been saying farewell to his fans around the globe over the past year.
The South Africa-born batsman played his final professional match in England with Surrey mid-last year and bid farewell to the KFC Big Bash with the Melbourne Stars in January.
Modest returns came at the Pakistan Super League and now Pietersen appears to be done, concentrating on his conservation work with rhinos.
England's second-highest run scorer across all three forms of the game, Pietersen won four Ashes series and hit 8181 runs in 104 Tests.
He briefly captained England and was man of the tournament as England won the World T20 title in 2010.
His international career ended acrimoniously, never playing for England again after a high-profile falling out after the Ashes whitewash of 2013-14.