Kevin Pietersen

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Pietersen was born to an Afrikaner father and English mother in South Africa. He made his first-class debut for Natal in 1997 and moved to England in 2000, after voicing his displeasure at what he said was the racial quota system in South African cricket. He was called up by England almost immediately after he completed four years with Nottinghamshire. He made his international debut in the ODI match against Zimbabwe in 2004 and his Test debut in the 2005 Ashes series. Pietersen was captain of the England Test and ODI teams from 4 August 2008 to 7 January 2009, but resigned after just three Tests and nine ODIs following a dispute with the England coach Peter Moores. He last played for England in the 2013–14 Ashes and subsequent ODIs, after which he was informed that he was no longer being considered for international selection. He also played for the Melbourne Stars in the Big Bash League until the end of BBL|07, the Quetta Gladiators in the Pakistan Super League, the Hollywoodbets Dolphins in the CSA T20 Challenge, and was signed by the Rising Pune Supergiants for the 2016 season of the Indian Premier League.

In Their Own Story

The floodlights hummed over the packed Arun Jaitley Stadium as the score hovered precariously at 80/4. The crowd held its breath, knowing only one man could turn the tide. Kevin Pietersen walked out, adjusting his gloves with a familiar, cocky grin. He faced the first ball, a bouncer that he disdainfully flicked past mid-wicket for four. With every run, the roar from the stands grew louder, a wave of energy feeding his aggression. By the 15th over, he was dancing down the track, smashing the bowler into the stands with a lofted drive. It wasn't just an innings; it was a statement that Delhi belonged to him.

Reader's Guide

Pietersen is one of the fastest batsmen to reach 1,000 ODI runs and still holds the record for being the fastest player to cross 2,000 runs in ODI cricket. He has the second-highest run total from his first 25 Tests, behind only Sir Don Bradman, and was the fastest player, in terms of days, to reach 4,000, 5,000 and 7,000 Test runs. He became only the third English batsman to top the ICC ODI rankings, doing so in March 2007. In July 2008, after a century against South Africa, The Times called him 'the most complete batsman in cricket' and in 2012 The Guardian called him 'England's greatest modern batsman'. On the occasion of England's 1000th Test in August 2018, he was named in the country's greatest Test XI by the ECB.

Did You Know?

• Pietersen was born in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa, to an English mother and Afrikaner father.
• He married Liberty X singer Jessica Taylor on 29 December 2007.
• He has two children: a son born in 2010 and a daughter born in 2015.
• Pietersen considers South Africa his first home and England his second home.