LONDON: Kevin Pietersen dropped a strong hint that he has retired after the polarizing former England star decided not to join Quetta Gladiators in Lahore for their Pakistan Super League play-off.
Pietersen helped Quetta qualify from the group stages in the Twenty20 tournament, but with the event now moving from the UAE to Pakistan, he appears to have opted to bring down the curtain on his controversial playing career.
The 37-year-old batsman hinted at his long-expected retirement with a Tweet which simply read “Boots Up! Thank you” before expanding on his situation on Saturday.
“Someone just tweeted to tell me that I scored 30000+ runs including 152 fifty’s & 68 hundreds in my pro career,” he wrote on Instagram.
“4 Ashes wins. Home & away! T20 WC win. Beaten India in India. Home & away 100’s in all major Test nations apart from Bangladesh.
“All dedicated to my family who have just been the most unreal supporters through thick & thin! I’m super proud of everything!
“Thank you for all the quite lovely msgs! I loved entertaining you all! Ciao, cricket! I love this game!“
A post on Quetta’s Twitter feed read: “You will be missed @KP24 Great career!! Thank you for everything. Wish you could stayed with us till PSL final but we respect your decision.”
South Africa-born Pietersen is believed to be ready to move on from cricket as he devotes more time to 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 8,181 runs in 104 Tests.
He has been away from the sport’s top level since his England exile started in 2014 when he was a high-profile casualty of an Ashes thrashing in Australia.
The flamboyant Pietersen’s attitude on the tour was criticized by some within the England camp.
He tried to revive his Test career, hitting an unbeaten 355 for Surrey, but it was not enough to convince the England and Wales Cricket Board to take him back.
He embarked on a nomadic T20 career after that, taking in all corners of the globe.
Pietersen, who had a brief and ill-fated spell as England captain, will be best remembered for his sublime innings of 158 in the fifth Test against Australia at The Oval in 2005.
That heroic effort ensured England got the draw they needed to finally reclaim the Ashes, with he also produced epic knocks of 227 against Australia in Adelaide in 2010 and a brilliant 186 against India in Mumbai in 2012.
Given his often divisive nature, it was fitting that Michael Vaughan, a former England captain, admitted his old international team-mate was a tremendous talent, even if he wasn’t always easy to deal with.
“Well done KP 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,” Vaughan tweeted.
Kevin Pietersen says ‘Ciao, cricket’ as England player appears to retire
Kevin Pietersen says ‘Ciao, cricket’ as England player appears to retire
Late Nandez winner keeps Al-Qadsiah’s title hopes alive
- Al-Qadsiah move to 47 points, 3 behind leaders Al-Hilal, who are yet to play on Matchday 22
- Al-Taawoun fairytale run loses steam as Pericles Chamusca’s side continue difficult spell
RIYADH: All signs pointed to an unlikely title charge for Al-Qadsiah when they held Al-Hilal to a 2-2 draw in Dammam at the end of January.
Since then, it has been a testing period for Brendan Rodgers’ side.
While they remain unbeaten under the Northern Irishman, Al-Qadsiah have struggled to replicate their earlier intensity as fatigue begins to take its toll.
Despite those challenges, Al-Qadsiah have collected seven points from their last nine, with a dramatic late winner from Nahitan Nandez securing a valuable 1-0 victory over a resilient NEOM side. The road to those three points was anything but easy.
Al-Qadsiah should have been ahead inside three minutes. A high press initiated by Julian Quinones and Mateo Retegui forced NEOM goalkeeper Luis Maximiano into a costly error, with his attempted clearance falling straight to the Italian. The 2024/25 Serie A top scorer struck the post with the goal at his mercy, allowing NEOM to breathe a sigh of relief.
What followed was a tactical battle between Rodgers and Christophe Galtier.
The hosts made a few changes from their previous outing, with Nandez occupying the right flank instead of Mohammed Abu Al-Shamat, while Ali Hazazi slotted into midfield.
NEOM mirrored the system, with their wingers tracking Nandez and Christopher Bonsu Baah as they dropped into a 5-4-1 defensive shape. Faris Abdi was a key outlet for the visitors, surging down the left flank on multiple occasions to support Luciano Rodriguez and Alexandre Lacazette.
It was Rodriguez and Lacazette who fashioned NEOM’s most dangerous chances of the night.
In the 38th minute, Koen Casteels denied Rodriguez with a powerful save. Minutes later, a cutback found Lacazette inside the box, but Casteels was again equal to the effort.
The Belgian emerged as the standout performer, making seven saves to keep Al-Qadsiah in contention. His efforts almost went unrewarded, however, as Retegui failed to convert further chances and Quinones endured his first game in 10 without a goal contribution.
Al-Qadsiah eventually grabbed the winner in the dying moments when a cross from Bonsu Baah was flicked on by new signing Waleed Al-Ahmed into the path of Nandez. The Uruguayan powered home what could prove to be the most valuable goal of the season, keeping Al-Qadsiah firmly in the title hunt.
Elsewhere, Damac enjoyed a perfect start under new manager Fabio Carille, as the Knights from the South secured their second win of the campaign with a 2-1 victory over Al-Taawoun.
Yakou Meite scored twice to give Damac their first win since late December, while Al-Taawoun drifted further from the top four after another match without victory.
The result moves Damac three points clear of Al-Riyadh in 16th place, easing immediate relegation concerns.
Meanwhile, Omar Al-Somah continued his pursuit of the all-time Saudi Pro League scoring record with a late winner for Al-Hazem. The hosts defeated Al-Okhdood 2-1 to climb temporarily into 11th, 12 points clear of the drop zone.
Saudi Pro League action returns on Friday, with Al-Shabab hosting Al-Ahli in Riyadh, Al-Hilal welcoming Al-Ettifaq and Al-Ittihad facing Al-Fayha to close out the day’s action.
