<p>Kevin Pietersen does not think Ben Stokes should captain England if Joe Root is forced to miss a game against the West Indies because it would heap too much pressure on the all-rounder.</p>

<p>Root's wife is due to give birth in July, meaning he risks missing one of the three behind-closed-doors Tests against the Caribbean side next month.</p>

<p>Root has backed vice-captain Stokes to do a good job in his absence, but former England skipper Pietersen is wary about the all-rounder assuming even more responsibility.</p>

<p>Pietersen, who said he "hated" the responsibility of being captain of England for a brief spell, would prefer wicketkeeper-batsman Jos Buttler to take over.</p>

<p>"Do I want to see Ben Stokes change from who he is and the current player he is? Probably not. Jos Buttler would be my guy," he told talkSPORT.</p>

<p>"The entertainers and the guys that have to carry the mantle in the team sometimes aren't the best captains and sometimes struggle with the extra added pressure."</p>

<p>Pietersen said the captaincy changed how players were viewed in the dressing room.</p>

<p>"I struggled with it, I absolutely hated it and I was rubbish," he said. "You have to change and I couldn't command the respect of the dressing room."</p>

<p>England begin their summer of cricket, which has been badly affected by the coronavirus pandemic, on July 8 with the first Test against the West Indies.</p>

<p>Further international matches against Pakistan, Australia and Ireland are all pencilled in, but they are all likely to be played in empty stadiums.</p>

<p>"I would rather be in the broadcaster chair than in the players' chair because entertainers like atmosphere and you are going to have to build your own atmosphere and dig as deep as you can to try your best and perform in front of a whisper," Pietersen said.</p>

<p>"It is going to be hard, especially for cricket. Six hours, when you're in the field and guys are batting and you're 100 overs into an innings, England are going to have to dig deep because it is going to feel like a warm-up game, with no one watching."</p>


Kevin Pietersen does not think Ben Stokes should captain England if Joe Root is forced to miss a game against the West Indies because it would heap too much pressure on the all-rounder.

Kevin Pietersen does not think Ben Stokes should captain England if Joe Root is forced to miss a game against the West Indies because it would heap too much pressure on the all-rounder. Root's wife is due to give birth in July, meaning he risks missing one of the three behind-closed-doors Tests against the Caribbean side next month. Root has backed vice-captain Stokes to do a good job in his absence, but former England skipper Pietersen is wary about the all-rounder assuming even more responsibility. Pietersen, who said he "hated" the responsibility of being captain of England for a brief spell, would prefer wicketkeeper-batsman Jos Buttler to take over. "Do I want to see Ben Stokes change from who he is and the current player he is? Probably not. Jos Buttler would be my guy," he told talkSPORT. "The entertainers and the guys that have to carry the mantle in the team sometimes aren't the best captains and sometimes struggle with the extra added pressure." Pietersen said the captaincy changed how players were viewed in the dressing room. "I struggled with it, I absolutely hated it and I was rubbish," he said. "You have to change and I couldn't command the respect of the dressing room." England begin their summer of cricket, which has been badly affected by the coronavirus pandemic, on July 8 with the first Test against the West Indies. Further international matches against Pakistan, Australia and Ireland are all pencilled in, but they are all likely to be played in empty stadiums. "I would rather be in the broadcaster chair than in the players' chair because entertainers like atmosphere and you are going to have to build your own atmosphere and dig as deep as you can to try your best and perform in front of a whisper," Pietersen said. "It is going to be hard, especially for cricket. Six hours, when you're in the field and guys are batting and you're 100 overs into an innings, England are going to have to dig deep because it is going to feel like a warm-up game, with no one watching."

Stokes does not need extra captaincy pressure, says Pietersen

<p>With the sporting calendar shredded into pieces amid COVID-19 pandemic, sportspersons have taken to social media platforms in a bid to keep their fans and followers engaged while spreading awareness about the dreaded virus.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Former England skipper Kevin Pietersen was the first cricketer to start live sessions with cricketers as he invited the likes of Rohit Sharma and Ahmed Shehzad for healthy discussions on cricket and life. Pietersen even held a live session with Congress MP Shashi Tharoor. Next cricketer to join KP’s Instagram live will be none other than Indian skipper Virat Kohli, who will be seen discussing things related to cricket and life on Thursday (April 2) at 7 PM IST.</p>

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<p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B-eOt31FO2T/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank">I’m interviewing the guy in the middle today! NOT the global superstar on the right! Raw &amp; REAL! 7pm IST! @virat.kohli </a></p>

<p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A post shared by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/kp24/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px;" target="_blank"> Kevin Pietersen</a> (@kp24) on <time datetime="2020-04-02T08:48:30+00:00" style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;">Apr 2, 2020 at 1:48am PDT</time></p>
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<p>Kohli took to social media platform Twitter to announce that he will come live with KP on Instagram as the duo will be seen chatting about what’s happening in the world amid the COVID-19 pandemic and also about their friendship off the field.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/relive-the-timeline-how-team-india-broke-28-year-wait-to-lift-the-icc-world-cup-2011-290074" hreflang="en">Relive the timeline: How Team India broke 28-year wait to lift the ICC World Cup 2011</a></strong></p>

<p>“Tomorrow at 7 PM IST my good friend @KP24 and I are going live on Instagram. Tune in to catch us chatting about what's happening world over at the moment and also about all the years we've known each other,” Kohli tweeted on Wednesday.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Tomorrow at 7 PM IST my good friend <a href="https://twitter.com/KP24?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@KP24</a> and I are going live on Instagram. Tune in to catch us chatting about what's happening world over at the moment and also about all the years we've known each other. <a href="https://t.co/19ghv6Bp1B">pic.twitter.com/19ghv6Bp1B</a></p>
— Virat Kohli (@imVkohli) <a href="https://twitter.com/imVkohli/status/1245342880912179206?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 1, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<p><strong>ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/eoin-morgan-ready-to-play-behind-closed-doors-says-sport-can-play-a-huge-role-in-uplifting-the-world-290052" hreflang="en">Eoin Morgan ready to play behind closed doors, says 'sport can play a huge role in uplifting the world'</a></strong></p>

<p>With all the sporting action coming to a screeching halt, Instagram live sessions have come as a relief for fans and cricket lovers with the likes of Rohit Sharma seen chatting with Yuzvendra Chahal and Jasprit Bumrah on the photo-blogging platform.</p>

<p>Meanwhile, there has been no official announcement on Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 with the cash-rich tournament being suspended till April 15, as of now. IPL 2020 was scheduled to start on March 29 but the novel coronavirus outbreak forced the authorities to suspend the tournament for the time being.&nbsp;<br />
&nbsp;</p>


With the sporting calendar shredded into pieces amid COVID-19 pandemic, sportspersons have taken to social media platforms in a bid to keep their fans and followers engaged while spreading awareness about the dreaded virus.

With the sporting calendar shredded into pieces amid COVID-19 pandemic, sportspersons have taken to social media platforms in a bid to keep their fans and followers engaged while spreading awareness about the dreaded virus. Former England skipper Kevin Pietersen was the first cricketer to start live sessions with cricketers as he invited the likes of Rohit Sharma and Ahmed Shehzad for healthy discussions on cricket and life. Pietersen even held a live session with Congress MP Shashi Tharoor. Next cricketer to join KP’s Instagram live will be none other than Indian skipper Virat Kohli, who will be seen discussing things related to cricket and life on Thursday (April 2) at 7 PM IST. View this post on Instagram I’m interviewing the guy in the middle today! NOT the global superstar on the right! Raw & REAL! 7pm IST! @virat.kohli A post shared by Kevin Pietersen (@kp24) on Apr 2, 2020 at 1:48am PDT × Kohli took to social media platform Twitter to announce that he will come live with KP on Instagram as the duo will be seen chatting about what’s happening in the world amid the COVID-19 pandemic and also about their friendship off the field. ALSO READ: Relive the timeline: How Team India broke 28-year wait to lift the ICC World Cup 2011 “Tomorrow at 7 PM IST my good friend @KP24 and I are going live on Instagram. Tune in to catch us chatting about what's happening world over at the moment and also about all the years we've known each other,” Kohli tweeted on Wednesday. Tomorrow at 7 PM IST my good friend @KP24 and I are going live on Instagram. Tune in to catch us chatting about what's happening world over at the moment and also about all the years we've known each other. pic.twitter.com/19ghv6Bp1B — Virat Kohli (@imVkohli) April 1, 2020 × ALSO READ: Eoin Morgan ready to play behind closed doors, says 'sport can play a huge role in uplifting the world' With all the sporting action coming to a screeching halt, Instagram live sessions have come as a relief for fans and cricket lovers with the likes of Rohit Sharma seen chatting with Yuzvendra Chahal and Jasprit Bumrah on the photo-blogging platform. Meanwhile, there has been no official announcement on Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 with the cash-rich tournament being suspended till April 15, as of now. IPL 2020 was scheduled to start on March 29 but the novel coronavirus outbreak forced the authorities to suspend the tournament for the time being.

Virat Kohli to join Kevin Pietersen on Instagram live session

<p>Former England batsman Kevin Pietersen on Friday won hearts as he took to social media platform Twitter to aware his Indian fans and followers about the novel coronavirus which is spreading like a wildfire all over the world. Confirmed cases of COVID-19 climbed to at least 241 in India on Friday with new cases being reported from parts of Maharashtra, Gujarat, Punjab, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Pietersen went desi as he posted an awareness message in Hindi with the help of Bengal and Sunrisers Hyderabad wicket-keeper Shreevats Goswami while urging&nbsp;every Indian to follow the guidelines provided by the Indian government. The swashbuckling former cricketer appealed&nbsp;to everyone to remain at their respective residences for a few days to curb the spread of COVID-19.</p>

<p>“Namaste india Folded hands hum sab corona virus ko harane mein ek saath hai, hum sab apne apne sqarkar ki baat ka nirdes kare aur ghar me kuch Dino ke liye rahe , yeh samay hai hosiyaar rahene ka .App sabhi ko der sara pyaar My Hindi teacher - @shreevats1,” Pietersen had tweeted.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>ALSO&nbsp;WATCH: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/watch-masked-virat-kohli-refuses-selfie-request-at-airport-over-covid-19-concern-287640">'Masked' Virat Kohli refuses selfie request at airport over COVID-19 concern</a></strong></p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="hi">Namaste india hum sab corona virus ko harane mein ek saath hai , hum sab apne apne sarkar ki baat ka nirdes kare aur ghar me kuch Dino ke liye rahe , yeh samay hai hosiyaar rahene ka .App sabhi ko der sara pyaar<br />
<br />
My Hindi teacher - <a href="https://twitter.com/shreevats1?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@shreevats1</a></p>
— Kevin Pietersen (@KP24) <a href="https://twitter.com/KP24/status/1240903502345486336?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 20, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<p>Reacting to Pietersen’s tweet, PM Modi replied: “Explosive batsmen who've seen teams through crises have something to say to us. We too will come together to fight COVID-19. #IndiaFightsCorona”</p>

<p>PM Modi even shared tweets by Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina, Ajinkya Rahane and Shikhar Dhawan in a bid to raise awareness surrounding the novel coronavirus.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/sachin-tendulkar-urges-everyone-to-draw-lessons-from-test-cricket-to-tackle-covid-19-287309">Sachin Tendulkar urges everyone to draw lessons from Test cricket to tackle COVID-19</a></strong></p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Explosive batsmen who've seen teams through crises have something to say to us.<br />
<br />
We too will come together to fight COVID-19. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IndiaFightsCorona?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IndiaFightsCorona</a><a href="https://t.co/vSZCibHvzz">https://t.co/vSZCibHvzz</a><a href="https://t.co/XPXNhJ0Rlx">https://t.co/XPXNhJ0Rlx</a><a href="https://t.co/0a7JcT4IVV">https://t.co/0a7JcT4IVV</a><a href="https://t.co/wEIFA6ZehQ">https://t.co/wEIFA6ZehQ</a><a href="https://t.co/e63GDehTOg">https://t.co/e63GDehTOg</a></p>
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/1240987143104688128?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 20, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<p>Pietersen replied back to PM Modi by praising his leadership qualities as he wrote, in Hindi: "Shukriya Modi ji,&nbsp;aapki leadership bhi kaafi bispotak hai"&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="hi">Shukriya Modi ji , aapki leadership bhi kaafi bispotak hai</p>
— Kevin Pietersen (@KP24) <a href="https://twitter.com/KP24/status/1240989666733707266?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 20, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<p>PM Modi on Thursday had announced the implementation of ‘Janata Curfew’ on March 22 (Sunday) – under which no one is supposed to step out of their house between 7 am to 9 pm. He even urged the citizen to not panic and follow all the precaution as per the advisory issued by the Health Ministry. Many cricketers including the likes of Kohli, Rahane, Ravichandran Ashwin, Rishabh Pant, to name a few, had praised PM Modi's speech while urging everyone to maintain social distancing.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Meanwhile, all major sporting events have been either cancelled or postponed amid the novel coronavirus outbreak with dark clouds hovering over the 2020 Tokyo Olympics which is scheduled to take place from July 24 to August 9. Also, the Indian government has strictly advised against public gatherings.</p>

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Former England batsman Kevin Pietersen on Friday won hearts as he took to social media platform Twitter to aware his Indian fans and followers about the novel coronavirus which is spreading like a wildfire all over the world.

Former England batsman Kevin Pietersen on Friday won hearts as he took to social media platform Twitter to aware his Indian fans and followers about the novel coronavirus which is spreading like a wildfire all over the world. Confirmed cases of COVID-19 climbed to at least 241 in India on Friday with new cases being reported from parts of Maharashtra, Gujarat, Punjab, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. Pietersen went desi as he posted an awareness message in Hindi with the help of Bengal and Sunrisers Hyderabad wicket-keeper Shreevats Goswami while urging every Indian to follow the guidelines provided by the Indian government. The swashbuckling former cricketer appealed to everyone to remain at their respective residences for a few days to curb the spread of COVID-19. “Namaste india Folded hands hum sab corona virus ko harane mein ek saath hai, hum sab apne apne sqarkar ki baat ka nirdes kare aur ghar me kuch Dino ke liye rahe , yeh samay hai hosiyaar rahene ka .App sabhi ko der sara pyaar My Hindi teacher - @shreevats1,” Pietersen had tweeted. ALSO WATCH: 'Masked' Virat Kohli refuses selfie request at airport over COVID-19 concern Namaste india hum sab corona virus ko harane mein ek saath hai , hum sab apne apne sarkar ki baat ka nirdes kare aur ghar me kuch Dino ke liye rahe , yeh samay hai hosiyaar rahene ka .App sabhi ko der sara pyaar My Hindi teacher - @shreevats1 — Kevin Pietersen (@KP24) March 20, 2020 × Reacting to Pietersen’s tweet, PM Modi replied: “Explosive batsmen who've seen teams through crises have something to say to us. We too will come together to fight COVID-19. #IndiaFightsCorona” PM Modi even shared tweets by Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina, Ajinkya Rahane and Shikhar Dhawan in a bid to raise awareness surrounding the novel coronavirus. ALSO READ: Sachin Tendulkar urges everyone to draw lessons from Test cricket to tackle COVID-19 Explosive batsmen who've seen teams through crises have something to say to us. We too will come together to fight COVID-19. #IndiaFightsCoronahttps://t.co/vSZCibHvzzhttps://t.co/XPXNhJ0Rlxhttps://t.co/0a7JcT4IVVhttps://t.co/wEIFA6ZehQhttps://t.co/e63GDehTOg — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 20, 2020 × Pietersen replied back to PM Modi by praising his leadership qualities as he wrote, in Hindi: "Shukriya Modi ji, aapki leadership bhi kaafi bispotak hai" Shukriya Modi ji , aapki leadership bhi kaafi bispotak hai — Kevin Pietersen (@KP24) March 20, 2020 × PM Modi on Thursday had announced the implementation of ‘Janata Curfew’ on March 22 (Sunday) – under which no one is supposed to step out of their house between 7 am to 9 pm. He even urged the citizen to not panic and follow all the precaution as per the advisory issued by the Health Ministry. Many cricketers including the likes of Kohli, Rahane, Ravichandran Ashwin, Rishabh Pant, to name a few, had praised PM Modi's speech while urging everyone to maintain social distancing. Meanwhile, all major sporting events have been either cancelled or postponed amid the novel coronavirus outbreak with dark clouds hovering over the 2020 Tokyo Olympics which is scheduled to take place from July 24 to August 9. Also, the Indian government has strictly advised against public gatherings.

PM Narendra Modi responds to Kevin Pietersen's tweet, joins forces with 'explosive batsmen' to fight against COVID-19

<p>Former England captain Kevin Pietersen on Friday urged Indian citizens to follow government directions on self-isolation to contain the COVID-19 pandemic, posting a message in Hindi with some help from his former IPL teammate Sreevats Goswami.</p>

<p>The 39-year-old took to Twitter to say "Greetings India. Everyone is united in the fight against coronavirus and that everyone should listen to their government's instructions and stay at home for a few days. This is time to be smart."</p>

<p>"Namaste India, hum sab corona virus ko harane mein ek saath hai , hum sab apne apne sarkar ki baat ka nirdes kare aur ghar me kuch Dino ke liye rahe , yeh samay hai hosiyaar rahene ka .App sabhi ko der sara pyaar," Pietersen tweeted in Hindi.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="hi">Namaste india hum sab corona virus ko harane mein ek saath hai , hum sab apne apne sarkar ki baat ka nirdes kare aur ghar me kuch Dino ke liye rahe , yeh samay hai hosiyaar rahene ka .App sabhi ko der sara pyaar<br />
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My Hindi teacher - <a href="https://twitter.com/shreevats1?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@shreevats1</a></p>
— Kevin Pietersen (@KP24) <a href="https://twitter.com/KP24/status/1240903502345486336?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 20, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<p>He credited Indian wicketkeeper-batsman Goswami for teaching him Hindi. Both have played for Royal Challengers Bangalore in the IPL.<br />
The coronavirus pandemic has infected more than 2,00,000 people worldwide and led to over 9,000 deaths. In India more than 190 have tested positive so far and four have died.</p>

<p>The country's health ministry has repeatedly advised people to stay at home and on Thursday Prime Minister Narendra Modi advocated a nationwide self-imposed curfew on Sunday to help the containment efforts.</p>

<p>Earlier this month, Pietersen visited the Kaziranga National Park in Assam to shoot a documentary on rhino conservation. He had lauded India's efforts in a series of tweets.</p>

<p>"The rhino population in India is BOOMING! Africa should take note! Face with monocle. Saving these iconic species CAN be done and IS being done here! Bravo, India!"</p>

<p>"India has given me so much over the last 15yrs &amp; to be able to visit somewhere so remote and so spectacular today, just made my trip. I'm so much happier, that we can film a doc celebrating the beauty of #IncredibleIndia!" he had tweeted.</p>


Former England captain Kevin Pietersen on Friday urged Indian citizens to follow government directions on self-isolation to contain the COVID-19 pandemic, posting a message in Hindi with some help from his former IPL teammate Sreevats Goswami.

Former England captain Kevin Pietersen on Friday urged Indian citizens to follow government directions on self-isolation to contain the COVID-19 pandemic, posting a message in Hindi with some help from his former IPL teammate Sreevats Goswami. The 39-year-old took to Twitter to say "Greetings India. Everyone is united in the fight against coronavirus and that everyone should listen to their government's instructions and stay at home for a few days. This is time to be smart." "Namaste India, hum sab corona virus ko harane mein ek saath hai , hum sab apne apne sarkar ki baat ka nirdes kare aur ghar me kuch Dino ke liye rahe , yeh samay hai hosiyaar rahene ka .App sabhi ko der sara pyaar," Pietersen tweeted in Hindi. Namaste india hum sab corona virus ko harane mein ek saath hai , hum sab apne apne sarkar ki baat ka nirdes kare aur ghar me kuch Dino ke liye rahe , yeh samay hai hosiyaar rahene ka .App sabhi ko der sara pyaar My Hindi teacher - @shreevats1 — Kevin Pietersen (@KP24) March 20, 2020 × He credited Indian wicketkeeper-batsman Goswami for teaching him Hindi. Both have played for Royal Challengers Bangalore in the IPL. The coronavirus pandemic has infected more than 2,00,000 people worldwide and led to over 9,000 deaths. In India more than 190 have tested positive so far and four have died. The country's health ministry has repeatedly advised people to stay at home and on Thursday Prime Minister Narendra Modi advocated a nationwide self-imposed curfew on Sunday to help the containment efforts. Earlier this month, Pietersen visited the Kaziranga National Park in Assam to shoot a documentary on rhino conservation. He had lauded India's efforts in a series of tweets. "The rhino population in India is BOOMING! Africa should take note! Face with monocle. Saving these iconic species CAN be done and IS being done here! Bravo, India!" "India has given me so much over the last 15yrs & to be able to visit somewhere so remote and so spectacular today, just made my trip. I'm so much happier, that we can film a doc celebrating the beauty of #IncredibleIndia!" he had tweeted.

Kevin Pietersen reaches out to India on coronavirus awareness in Hindi

<p>Former England batsman Kevin Pietersen on Thursday slammed Pakistan's decision to omit Ahmed Shehzad from the upcoming Bangladesh T20I squad.</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/pakistan-recall-hafeez-and-malik-for-bangladesh-t20-series-274695">Pakistan recall Hafeez and Malik for Bangladesh T20 series</a></p>

<p>Taking to Twitter, Pietersen said that opening batsman had a decent record in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) and despite that, he has been dropped from the side which is "stupid".</p>

<p>"Just seen the team that PAKISTAN have picked to play Bangladesh. How on this planet can @iamahmadshazhad NOT be in that squad??? His PSL numbers and domestic number are so much better than the batter picked ahead of him! STUPID!" Pietersen tweeted.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Just seen the team that PAKISTAN have picked to play Bangladesh.<br />
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How on this planet can @iamahmadshazhad NOT be in that squad???<br />
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His PSL numbers and domestic number are so much better than the batter picked ahead of him!<br />
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STUPID!</p>
— Kevin Pietersen🦏 (@KP24) <a href="https://twitter.com/KP24/status/1217847999453433857?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 16, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<p>Shehzad last played against Sri Lanka in the T20I in October 2019. Shoaib Malik and Mohammad Hafeez have returned to the Pakistani side for the upcoming three-match T20I series against Bangladesh.</p>

<p>Malik played his last T20 game against Pakistan in February 2019 while Hafeez is returning to the side after a break of 14 months.</p>

<p>Haris Rauf, Ahsan Ali and Amad Ali have got their maiden call for the Bangladesh series.</p>

<p>Asif Ali, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Sohail, Imam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Irfan, and Wahab Riaz have been ruled out of the side following a T20I series defeat against Australia.</p>

<p>Pakistan lost the three-match T20I series against Australia 2-0. The first T20I match was abandoned due to rain.</p>

<p>Pakistan squad: Babar Azam (captain), Ahsan Ali, Amad Butt, Haris Rauf, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Hafeez, Mohammad Hasnain, Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper), Musa Khan, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shoaib Malik, Usman Qadir.</p>

<p>Bangladesh will play three T20I matches against the hosts on January 24, 25 and 27 in Lahore.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


Former England batsman Kevin Pietersen on Thursday slammed Pakistan's decision to omit Ahmed Shehzad from the upcoming Bangladesh T20I squad. Also read: Pakistan recall Hafeez and Malik for Bangladesh T20 series Taking to Twitter, Pietersen said that opening batsman had a decent record in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) and despite that, he has been dropped from the side which is "stupid".

Former England batsman Kevin Pietersen on Thursday slammed Pakistan's decision to omit Ahmed Shehzad from the upcoming Bangladesh T20I squad. Also read: Pakistan recall Hafeez and Malik for Bangladesh T20 series Taking to Twitter, Pietersen said that opening batsman had a decent record in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) and despite that, he has been dropped from the side which is "stupid". "Just seen the team that PAKISTAN have picked to play Bangladesh. How on this planet can @iamahmadshazhad NOT be in that squad??? His PSL numbers and domestic number are so much better than the batter picked ahead of him! STUPID!" Pietersen tweeted. Just seen the team that PAKISTAN have picked to play Bangladesh. How on this planet can @iamahmadshazhad NOT be in that squad??? His PSL numbers and domestic number are so much better than the batter picked ahead of him! STUPID! — Kevin Pietersen🦏 (@KP24) January 16, 2020 × Shehzad last played against Sri Lanka in the T20I in October 2019. Shoaib Malik and Mohammad Hafeez have returned to the Pakistani side for the upcoming three-match T20I series against Bangladesh. Malik played his last T20 game against Pakistan in February 2019 while Hafeez is returning to the side after a break of 14 months. Haris Rauf, Ahsan Ali and Amad Ali have got their maiden call for the Bangladesh series. Asif Ali, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Sohail, Imam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Irfan, and Wahab Riaz have been ruled out of the side following a T20I series defeat against Australia. Pakistan lost the three-match T20I series against Australia 2-0. The first T20I match was abandoned due to rain. Pakistan squad: Babar Azam (captain), Ahsan Ali, Amad Butt, Haris Rauf, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Hafeez, Mohammad Hasnain, Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper), Musa Khan, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shoaib Malik, Usman Qadir. Bangladesh will play three T20I matches against the hosts on January 24, 25 and 27 in Lahore.

Kevin Pietersen calls Pakistani selectors 'stupid' for dropping Shehzad in upcoming T20 series

<p>The ongoing ICC Men's Cricket World Cup has been bogged down by poor English weather and former English batsman Kevin Pietersen on Friday posted a <a href="http://cms.wionews.com/sports/india-vs-new-zealand-washout-frustrated-fans-come-up-with-funny-memes-226940">hilarious picture</a> on Instagram taking a jibe at the tournament.</p>

<p>So far, four matches have been <a href="http://cms.wionews.com/sports/world-cup-india-and-new-zealand-split-points-after-trent-bridge-washout-226923">abandoned due to rain</a> in the ongoing Cricket World Cup.</p>

<p>This is the most number of matches that have been called off due to rain in a single edition.</p>

<p>The matches between Sri Lanka-Pakistan, Sri Lanka-Bangladesh, South Africa-West Indies and India-New Zealand have gotten abandoned due to rain in the ongoing World Cup.</p>

<p>Three matches were washed out without a single ball bowled and in the South Africa-West Indies match, only 7.2 overs were bowled.</p>

<p>The scheduling of the Cricket World Cup has come under scrutiny as the matches keep on getting abandoned and the teams are being awarded one point each.</p>

<p>No reserve days have been put in place for the round-robin stage.</p>

<p>The reserve days are just in place for the semi-finals and finals.</p>

<p>In the picture that Pietersen posted, people can be seen playing cricket underwater and the image caption reads as 'Cricket World Cup final 2019'.</p>

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<p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/ByreSQRlhXt/" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank">😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂</a></p>

<p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A post shared by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/kp24/" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px;" target="_blank"> Kevin Pietersen</a> (@kp24) on <time datetime="2019-06-14T05:57:56+00:00" style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;">Jun 13, 2019 at 10:57pm PDT</time></p>
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<p>When asked about reserve days, <a href="http://cms.wionews.com/sports/world-cup-icc-defends-no-reserve-day-decision-blames-unseasonable-weather-226400">ICC CEO David Richardson</a> had said,&nbsp;"factoring in a reserve day for every match at the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup would significantly increase the length of the tournament and practically would be extremely complex to deliver."</p>

<p>"Up to 1,200 people are on site to deliver a match and everything associated with it including getting it broadcast and a proportion of them are moving around the country so reserve days in the group stage would require a significant uplift in the number of staff," Richardson further stated.</p>

<p>The upcoming week in the Cricket World Cup 2019 also does not order well for the organisers as weather predictions for the ensuing week also indicate rain.</p>


The ongoing ICC Men's Cricket World Cup has been bogged down by poor English weather and former English batsman Kevin Pietersen on Friday posted a hilarious picture on Instagram taking a jibe at the tournament.

The ongoing ICC Men's Cricket World Cup has been bogged down by poor English weather and former English batsman Kevin Pietersen on Friday posted a hilarious picture on Instagram taking a jibe at the tournament. So far, four matches have been abandoned due to rain in the ongoing Cricket World Cup. This is the most number of matches that have been called off due to rain in a single edition. The matches between Sri Lanka-Pakistan, Sri Lanka-Bangladesh, South Africa-West Indies and India-New Zealand have gotten abandoned due to rain in the ongoing World Cup. Three matches were washed out without a single ball bowled and in the South Africa-West Indies match, only 7.2 overs were bowled. The scheduling of the Cricket World Cup has come under scrutiny as the matches keep on getting abandoned and the teams are being awarded one point each. No reserve days have been put in place for the round-robin stage. The reserve days are just in place for the semi-finals and finals. In the picture that Pietersen posted, people can be seen playing cricket underwater and the image caption reads as 'Cricket World Cup final 2019'. View this post on Instagram 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂 A post shared by Kevin Pietersen (@kp24) on Jun 13, 2019 at 10:57pm PDT × When asked about reserve days, ICC CEO David Richardson had said, "factoring in a reserve day for every match at the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup would significantly increase the length of the tournament and practically would be extremely complex to deliver." "Up to 1,200 people are on site to deliver a match and everything associated with it including getting it broadcast and a proportion of them are moving around the country so reserve days in the group stage would require a significant uplift in the number of staff," Richardson further stated. The upcoming week in the Cricket World Cup 2019 also does not order well for the organisers as weather predictions for the ensuing week also indicate rain.

Kevin Pietersen posts hilarious picture on washed out World Cup matches

<p>The addition of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/search?q=jofra+archer">Jofra Archer</a> in the side allows England to pick up wickets at any stage of an innings during the World Cup, former captain Kevin Pietersen has said.</p>

<p>Archer's World Cup debut, where he picked up three wickets in England's 104-run victory over South Africa, was among the early tournament highlights after he was fast-tracked into the hosts' one-day international setup.</p>

<p>The Barbados-born quick is now expected to lead the pace attack with Mark Wood when they take on Pakistan in their second match later on Monday.</p>

<p>"The addition of Jofra Archer to that setup gives England the capabilities to take wickets from overs one to 50," Pietersen told Sky Sports.</p>

<p>"Occasionally they might get a couple of wickets with the new ball and then try and back (leg-spinner Adil) Rashid to get wickets. If Rashid doesn't get any wickets in the middle overs then they struggle.</p>

<p>"Archer can knock over the top order of every single team. He can then come in the middle of the innings and get a couple of wickets from short-pitched deliveries and then at the death he is a fantastic bowler."</p>

<p>Archer impressed Pietersen during the Big Bash Twenty20 league in Australia where he picked up 35 wickets in 28 games for Hobart Hurricanes.</p>

<p>The 24-year-old is yet to make his test debut and Pietersen backed him to make England's squad to team up with veteran fast bowlers James Anderson and Stuart Broad when they take on Australia in the Ashes series, which begins in August.</p>

<p>"Having faced him, having played with him in Australia in the Big Bash, he is something to be looked after just because of the pace and bounce," Pietersen added. "He has the ability to take wickets all the way throughout the innings.</p>

<p>"He is a special, special talent. I'm telling you now it should be an Anderson, Broad and Jofra Archer combination come the first test matches of the Ashes."</p>


The addition of Jofra Archer in the side allows England to pick up wickets at any stage of an innings during the World Cup, former captain Kevin Pietersen has said.

The addition of Jofra Archer in the side allows England to pick up wickets at any stage of an innings during the World Cup, former captain Kevin Pietersen has said. Archer's World Cup debut, where he picked up three wickets in England's 104-run victory over South Africa, was among the early tournament highlights after he was fast-tracked into the hosts' one-day international setup. The Barbados-born quick is now expected to lead the pace attack with Mark Wood when they take on Pakistan in their second match later on Monday. "The addition of Jofra Archer to that setup gives England the capabilities to take wickets from overs one to 50," Pietersen told Sky Sports. "Occasionally they might get a couple of wickets with the new ball and then try and back (leg-spinner Adil) Rashid to get wickets. If Rashid doesn't get any wickets in the middle overs then they struggle. "Archer can knock over the top order of every single team. He can then come in the middle of the innings and get a couple of wickets from short-pitched deliveries and then at the death he is a fantastic bowler." Archer impressed Pietersen during the Big Bash Twenty20 league in Australia where he picked up 35 wickets in 28 games for Hobart Hurricanes. The 24-year-old is yet to make his test debut and Pietersen backed him to make England's squad to team up with veteran fast bowlers James Anderson and Stuart Broad when they take on Australia in the Ashes series, which begins in August. "Having faced him, having played with him in Australia in the Big Bash, he is something to be looked after just because of the pace and bounce," Pietersen added. "He has the ability to take wickets all the way throughout the innings. "He is a special, special talent. I'm telling you now it should be an Anderson, Broad and Jofra Archer combination come the first test matches of the Ashes."

Jofra Archer can take wickets at any stage of match: Kevin Pietersen

<p>Ahead of the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/hot-conditions-in-england-would-be-an-advantage-for-sub-continent-teams-kevin-pietersen-207925">former England batsman Kevin Pietersen</a> has compared the current England side with the 'great' Australia squad, who lifted two World Cups.</p>

<p>The 38-year old, on Wednesday, took Twitter to share his opinion and wrote: "This England ODI side is like that great Aussie side...if (Matthew) Hayden didn't get you, then (Ricky) Ponting would &amp; if they missed out, (Adam) Gilchrist would. This England team, the same, (Jason) Roy, (Jonny) Bairstow, (Jos) Buttler etc...SOOOOO good!"</p>

<p>Pietersen has compared the former Australian batsmen-- Hayden, Ponting and Gilchrist -- with England's Jason Roy, Jonny Bairstow and Jos Butler.&nbsp;</p>

<p>All three Australia veterans featured in the 2003 and 2007 World Cup, beating India and Sri Lanka, respectively, in the final match to clinch the title two times in a row.</p>

<p>England is going to host the forthcoming quadrennial tournament and will try to justify the 'favourite' tag they have got since World Cup hype came into being.</p>

<p>Apart from having the home benefit, it is the England team which makes them a tough competitor in the premier tournament and will require a great effort for any team to overpower them. The corroboration for this is that they atop the ICC ODI rankings list.</p>


Ahead of the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup, former England batsman Kevin Pietersen has compared the current England side with the 'great' Australia squad, who lifted two World Cups.

Ahead of the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup, former England batsman Kevin Pietersen has compared the current England side with the 'great' Australia squad, who lifted two World Cups. The 38-year old, on Wednesday, took Twitter to share his opinion and wrote: "This England ODI side is like that great Aussie side...if (Matthew) Hayden didn't get you, then (Ricky) Ponting would & if they missed out, (Adam) Gilchrist would. This England team, the same, (Jason) Roy, (Jonny) Bairstow, (Jos) Buttler etc...SOOOOO good!" Pietersen has compared the former Australian batsmen-- Hayden, Ponting and Gilchrist -- with England's Jason Roy, Jonny Bairstow and Jos Butler. All three Australia veterans featured in the 2003 and 2007 World Cup, beating India and Sri Lanka, respectively, in the final match to clinch the title two times in a row. England is going to host the forthcoming quadrennial tournament and will try to justify the 'favourite' tag they have got since World Cup hype came into being. Apart from having the home benefit, it is the England team which makes them a tough competitor in the premier tournament and will require a great effort for any team to overpower them. The corroboration for this is that they atop the ICC ODI rankings list.

Kevin Pietersen compares England's current team with former Australian side

<p>Former skipper Kevin Pietersen reckons that if hot and dry conditions persist in England, it will work more in favour of sub-continent teams during the upcoming World Cup but green surfaces would be an advantage for the hosts.</p>

<p>Pietersen said last summer was one of the hottest with hardly any rain.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"We started a Test against India in 2000 something. On day one it was an absolutely green surface but at the end of day two it was completely dry. It never rained but the moisture that was was sucked by the system dry completely and depleting any grass on the wicket.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"If the conditions are like they were last summer, then I can say sub-continental teams will have a massive role to play in the World Cup. If they are not and it's horrible and green and seaming all over, it will play into England's favour," said Pietersen.</p>

<p>However, Pietersen fears that if the ball swung as it did on the West Indies, England could be in trouble.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"The one downside for England though is that although they have the license to slog from ball one, but in those swinging and seaming conditions it's quite difficult as we saw in the West Indies at Barbados where the ball did a bit and the West Indies knocked over England (in the Test)," he said.</p>

<p>Batting great Brian Lara felt that the West Indies, recently, have become strong at home but cautioned that it was consistency and team work which could see the team through in the World Cup.</p>

<p>"The series against England has given us all in the West indies some hope. We have become strong at home. But I am not going to be fooled by what we did against England. We have a team that understands the conditions at home now. But four months ago we were terrible, but I am happy to see we have made that little progress in our cricket,&nbsp;said the former stylish left-handed batsman.</p>

<p>"We have got a few match winners but in English conditions, we need a bit more than match winners to win the World Cup. We need a team with great consistency and if we reach the knock out stages we can knock out any team. It gives us a little bit of chance but would like to see the team selection first."</p>

<p>Former Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene was not happy with the way things have gone in his country in the run-up to the mega event with so many chopping and changing.</p>

<p>"Usually we plan for the World Cup years ahead - 12 months ahead&nbsp;and know what our combinations are. This time there is the (upcoming) provincial tournament to finalise the World Cup squad. That shows inconsistency in the approach," he said candidly.</p>

<p>"It's not alarming as there is talent, some good players who have had experience of World Cup before and have been in finals before. Sri Lanka always turns out for the World Cup with a mentality that they can win. Leading up to the World Cup, we have not done well. We have won a handful of matches over the last five months both in Sri Lanka and away&nbsp;which won't give any confidence."</p>

<p>Jayawardene said a settled top-order is crucial and Sri Lanka are still not sure about it.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"There has not been a consistent selection process. We had like eight different opening partnerships. Top four guys are very crucial in those conditions. I think they need to find solutions for that, some soul searching. Hopefully, this domestic tournament is not going to make a huge impact in the selection process. You need to back the guys who have done the thing in the past. I hope common sense will prevail," he added.</p>


Former skipper Kevin Pietersen reckons that if hot and dry conditions persist in England, it will work more in favour of sub-continent teams during the upcoming World Cup but green surfaces would be an advantage for the hosts.

Former skipper Kevin Pietersen reckons that if hot and dry conditions persist in England, it will work more in favour of sub-continent teams during the upcoming World Cup but green surfaces would be an advantage for the hosts. Pietersen said last summer was one of the hottest with hardly any rain. "We started a Test against India in 2000 something. On day one it was an absolutely green surface but at the end of day two it was completely dry. It never rained but the moisture that was was sucked by the system dry completely and depleting any grass on the wicket. "If the conditions are like they were last summer, then I can say sub-continental teams will have a massive role to play in the World Cup. If they are not and it's horrible and green and seaming all over, it will play into England's favour," said Pietersen. However, Pietersen fears that if the ball swung as it did on the West Indies, England could be in trouble. "The one downside for England though is that although they have the license to slog from ball one, but in those swinging and seaming conditions it's quite difficult as we saw in the West Indies at Barbados where the ball did a bit and the West Indies knocked over England (in the Test)," he said. Batting great Brian Lara felt that the West Indies, recently, have become strong at home but cautioned that it was consistency and team work which could see the team through in the World Cup. "The series against England has given us all in the West indies some hope. We have become strong at home. But I am not going to be fooled by what we did against England. We have a team that understands the conditions at home now. But four months ago we were terrible, but I am happy to see we have made that little progress in our cricket, said the former stylish left-handed batsman. "We have got a few match winners but in English conditions, we need a bit more than match winners to win the World Cup. We need a team with great consistency and if we reach the knock out stages we can knock out any team. It gives us a little bit of chance but would like to see the team selection first." Former Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene was not happy with the way things have gone in his country in the run-up to the mega event with so many chopping and changing. "Usually we plan for the World Cup years ahead - 12 months ahead and know what our combinations are. This time there is the (upcoming) provincial tournament to finalise the World Cup squad. That shows inconsistency in the approach," he said candidly. "It's not alarming as there is talent, some good players who have had experience of World Cup before and have been in finals before. Sri Lanka always turns out for the World Cup with a mentality that they can win. Leading up to the World Cup, we have not done well. We have won a handful of matches over the last five months both in Sri Lanka and away which won't give any confidence." Jayawardene said a settled top-order is crucial and Sri Lanka are still not sure about it. "There has not been a consistent selection process. We had like eight different opening partnerships. Top four guys are very crucial in those conditions. I think they need to find solutions for that, some soul searching. Hopefully, this domestic tournament is not going to make a huge impact in the selection process. You need to back the guys who have done the thing in the past. I hope common sense will prevail," he added.

Hot conditions in England would be an advantage for sub-continent teams: Kevin Pietersen

<p>Former England cricketer Kevin Pietersen on Tuesday became the first overseas cricketer to deliver the MAK Pataudi Memorial Lecture at the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) awards event here.</p>

<p>In the lecture, which has been previously addressed by the likes of Sunil Gavaskar, VVS Laxman, Anil Kumble, Rahul Dravid and Farukh Engineer, Pietersen expressed his delight on being chosen to deliver the speech, making him the first non-Indian to do so.</p>

<p>Talking to the Afghanistan players attending the awards ahead of their maiden Test match against India, he said, "There are many others infinitely better qualified to describe the social, political and cultural impact of that sporting leap. But I know what it means as a sportsman."&nbsp</p>

<p>"Because, in my humble opinion a hard fought five-day test match remains the greatest all-round challenge in modern day sport."</p>

<p>"A challenge as mentally demanding as it is physical. A challenge demanding the very highest levels of concentration of technique, of determination, of stamina, all, for the batsman at least, with no second chances," he added.</p>

<p>"Don`t restrict yourself to a form of cricket that, however brilliant, doesn`t require mastery of every skill. Only Test cricket can do that. Ask Jos Buttler who scored so prolifically here at the IPL before his recall to the English test team whether he valued any of those stunning 20-20 knocks for Rajasthan&nbspas highly as the man of the match in the second test match vs Pakistan last month at Headingly," Pietersen said.</p>

<p>His selection was met with a fair amount of dissatisfaction among the officials of the BCCI, with the apex cricketing authority`s acting secretary Amitabh Chaudhary expressing his displeasure regarding the same.Pietersen`s selection came after Sri Lankan legend Kumar Sangakkara was unavailable due to his commentary commitments.</p>

<p>Former Indian skipper Sourav Ganguly and former England captain Nasser Hussain were the other two candidates in the shortlisted panel.</p>

<p>In his mail to the Supreme Court-appointed Committee of Administrators (CoA) and BCCI officials, Chaudhary lashed out for keeping the three office-bearers--including acting president CK Khanna and acting treasurer Aniruddh Chaudhary--in dark by picking a former overseas cricketer to deliver the speech.</p>

<p>The BCCI acting secretary further revealed that he had earlier suggested the names of Erapalli Prasanna, Abbas Ali Baig, Nari Contractor - all of whom had featured alongside Pataudi.</p>


Pietersen expressed his delight on being chosen to deliver the speech,

Former England cricketer Kevin Pietersen on Tuesday became the first overseas cricketer to deliver the MAK Pataudi Memorial Lecture at the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) awards event here. In the lecture, which has been previously addressed by the likes of Sunil Gavaskar, VVS Laxman, Anil Kumble, Rahul Dravid and Farukh Engineer, Pietersen expressed his delight on being chosen to deliver the speech, making him the first non-Indian to do so. Talking to the Afghanistan players attending the awards ahead of their maiden Test match against India, he said, "There are many others infinitely better qualified to describe the social, political and cultural impact of that sporting leap. But I know what it means as a sportsman." "Because, in my humble opinion a hard fought five-day test match remains the greatest all-round challenge in modern day sport." "A challenge as mentally demanding as it is physical. A challenge demanding the very highest levels of concentration of technique, of determination, of stamina, all, for the batsman at least, with no second chances," he added. "Don`t restrict yourself to a form of cricket that, however brilliant, doesn`t require mastery of every skill. Only Test cricket can do that. Ask Jos Buttler who scored so prolifically here at the IPL before his recall to the English test team whether he valued any of those stunning 20-20 knocks for Rajasthan&nbspas highly as the man of the match in the second test match vs Pakistan last month at Headingly," Pietersen said. His selection was met with a fair amount of dissatisfaction among the officials of the BCCI, with the apex cricketing authority`s acting secretary Amitabh Chaudhary expressing his displeasure regarding the same.Pietersen`s selection came after Sri Lankan legend Kumar Sangakkara was unavailable due to his commentary commitments. Former Indian skipper Sourav Ganguly and former England captain Nasser Hussain were the other two candidates in the shortlisted panel. In his mail to the Supreme Court-appointed Committee of Administrators (CoA) and BCCI officials, Chaudhary lashed out for keeping the three office-bearers--including acting president CK Khanna and acting treasurer Aniruddh Chaudhary--in dark by picking a former overseas cricketer to deliver the speech. The BCCI acting secretary further revealed that he had earlier suggested the names of Erapalli Prasanna, Abbas Ali Baig, Nari Contractor - all of whom had featured alongside Pataudi.

Kevin Pietersen becomes 1st non-Indian to deliver lecture at BCCI event

<p>Kevin Pietersen,&nbsp;former English cricketer has written&nbsp;in Hindi to praise India's Rhino Census of Kaziranga National Park as the count&nbsp;of one-horned rhinos have increased to 12 more.</p>

<p>Pietersen took to Twitter to celebrate the news in the best possible way to treat the Indian fans.</p>

<p>In <em>shudh</em>&nbsp;Hindi&nbsp;he said,&nbsp;"Yeh bohut achi Khabar hai, isse Padne ke liye mein bohut Khush hoon, india mein appse bohut pyar karta hoon aur aapke jaanwaro se bhi bohut pyar karta hoon. @sorai2018 aapke sabhi pyaare jaanwaro se pratibrad hai. Hum rhinos se suruwatt kar rahe hai. Mein bohut khush hoon."</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="hi">Yeh bohut achi Khabar hai, isse Padne ke liye mein bohut Khush hoon, india mein appse bohut pyar karta hoon aur aapke jaanwaro se bhi bohut pyar karta hoon. <a href="https://twitter.com/SORAI2018?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@sorai2018</a> aapke sabhi pyaare jaanwaro se pratibrad hai. Hum rhinos se suruwatt kar rahe hai. Mein bohut khush hoon. ❤️ <a href="https://t.co/VUDlaJja0s">pic.twitter.com/VUDlaJja0s</a></p>
— Kevin Pietersen (@KP24) <a href="https://twitter.com/KP24/status/980742109786406912?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 2, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>Kevin Pietersen has raised his voice against illegal ivory export and&nbsp;has been working extensively towards saving rhinos from extinction.</p>

<p>The Unesco World Heritage Site of, Kaziranga National Park, is situated in a state of Assam. It is home to two-thirds of the world's population of the species.</p>

<p>Kaziranga National Park has counted 2,413 one-horned rhinos - up 12 from 2015.</p>

<p><em>Also watch:</em></p>

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<p>&nbsp;</p>


The recent Census in India's Kaziranga National Park has counted 2,413 one-horned rhinos which are 12 more from 2015

Kevin Pietersen, former English cricketer has written in Hindi to praise India's Rhino Census of Kaziranga National Park as the count of one-horned rhinos have increased to 12 more. Pietersen took to Twitter to celebrate the news in the best possible way to treat the Indian fans. In shudh Hindi he said, "Yeh bohut achi Khabar hai, isse Padne ke liye mein bohut Khush hoon, india mein appse bohut pyar karta hoon aur aapke jaanwaro se bhi bohut pyar karta hoon. @sorai2018 aapke sabhi pyaare jaanwaro se pratibrad hai. Hum rhinos se suruwatt kar rahe hai. Mein bohut khush hoon." Yeh bohut achi Khabar hai, isse Padne ke liye mein bohut Khush hoon, india mein appse bohut pyar karta hoon aur aapke jaanwaro se bhi bohut pyar karta hoon. @sorai2018 aapke sabhi pyaare jaanwaro se pratibrad hai. Hum rhinos se suruwatt kar rahe hai. Mein bohut khush hoon. ❤️ pic.twitter.com/VUDlaJja0s — Kevin Pietersen (@KP24) April 2, 2018 × Kevin Pietersen has raised his voice against illegal ivory export and has been working extensively towards saving rhinos from extinction. The Unesco World Heritage Site of, Kaziranga National Park, is situated in a state of Assam. It is home to two-thirds of the world's population of the species. Kaziranga National Park has counted 2,413 one-horned rhinos - up 12 from 2015. Also watch: ×

Ex-England star Pietersen writes in Hindi praising India's Rhino population growth

<p>Former England batsman Kevin Pietersen on Saturday officially confirmed the news of his retirement from cricket in a heartfelt post on social media platform, Instagram.</p>

<p>&quot;Someone just tweeted me to tell me that I scored 30,000+ runs including 152 fifty&#39;s and 68 hundred in my pro career. Four Ashes wins. Home and away! T20 World Cup win. Beaten India in India. Home and away 100&#39;s in all major Test nations apart from Bangladesh. All dedicated to my family who has just been the most unreal supporters through thick and thin! I&#39;m super proud of everything! Thank you for all the quite lovely msgs! I loved entertaining you all! Ciao, cricket! I love this game!,&quot; Pietersen wrote on Instagram.</p>

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<p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BgbC6kej9qK/" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank">Someone just tweeted me to tell me that I scored 30000+ runs including 152 fifty&rsquo;s &amp; 68 hundreds in my pro career. 4 Ashes wins. Home &amp; away! T20 WC win. Beaten India in India. Home &amp; away 100&rsquo;s in all major Test nations apart from Bangladesh. All dedicated to my family who have just been the most unreal supporters through thick &amp; thin! I&rsquo;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></p>

<p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A post shared by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/kp24/" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px;" target="_blank"> Kevin Pietersen</a> (@kp24) on <time datetime="2018-03-17T11:25:49+00:00" style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;">Mar 17, 2018 at 4:25am PDT</time></p>
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<p>The feisty batsman on March 16 had hinted at the news on microblogging platform on Twitter.</p>

<p>&quot;BOOTS UP! Thank you!,&quot; read a tweet.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">BOOTS UP!<br />
Thank you! ????</p>
&mdash; Kevin Pietersen (@KP24) <a href="https://twitter.com/KP24/status/974663767752572928?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 16, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>Last month, Pietersen said the current Pakistan Super League (PSL) would be his last appearance in a cricket tournament abroad.</p>

<p>However, it seems that the swashbuckling batsman has called time on his career entirely.</p>

<p>The 37-year-old, who represented Quetta Gladiators during the PSL, has played for a number of teams across the world since 2014, when he was told that he will no longer be a part of England&#39;s team.</p>

<p>Pietersen played for Delhi Daredevils and Rising Pune Supergiant in the Indian Premier League, Melbourne Stars in the Big Bash League, St Lucia Stars in the Caribbean and Sunfoil Dolphins in South Africa.</p>

<p>He also represented Surrey in county cricket.</p>

<p>In 104 Tests for England, Pietersen scored 8,181 runs at an average of 47.28, with 23 centuries and 35 fifties.</p>

<p>In 136 One Day Internationals (ODIs), he collected 4,440 runs with nine centuries and 25 half-centuries.</p>

<p>He also appeared in 37 T20Is, scoring 1,176 runs with seven half-centuries and was part of the World T20 winning team in 2010.</p>

<p>Former teammate Michael Vaughan was among the first to congratulate KP on his &quot;fantastic career&quot;, even calling him &quot;the best batsman&quot; that he played with.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Well done <a href="https://twitter.com/KP24?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@KP24</a> on an fantastic career ... Not everyone&rsquo;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 .. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WellDone?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WellDone</a></p>
&mdash; Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan) <a href="https://twitter.com/MichaelVaughan/status/974758990726029314?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 16, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>In February 2014, England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) sacked Pietersen, because they could not be confident of his full support for captain Alastair Cook, according to The Guardian.</p>


The feisty batsman on March 16 had hinted at the news on microblogging platform on Twitter

Former England batsman Kevin Pietersen on Saturday officially confirmed the news of his retirement from cricket in a heartfelt post on social media platform, Instagram. "Someone just tweeted me to tell me that I scored 30,000+ runs including 152 fifty's and 68 hundred in my pro career. Four Ashes wins. Home and away! T20 World Cup win. Beaten India in India. Home and away 100's in all major Test nations apart from Bangladesh. All dedicated to my family who has just been the most unreal supporters through thick and 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!," Pietersen wrote on Instagram. Someone just tweeted me to tell me that I scored 30000+ runs including 152 fifty’s & 68 hundreds in my pro career. 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 shared by Kevin Pietersen (@kp24) on Mar 17, 2018 at 4:25am PDT × The feisty batsman on March 16 had hinted at the news on microblogging platform on Twitter. "BOOTS UP! Thank you!," read a tweet. BOOTS UP! Thank you! ???? — Kevin Pietersen (@KP24) March 16, 2018 × Last month, Pietersen said the current Pakistan Super League (PSL) would be his last appearance in a cricket tournament abroad. However, it seems that the swashbuckling batsman has called time on his career entirely. The 37-year-old, who represented Quetta Gladiators during the PSL, has played for a number of teams across the world since 2014, when he was told that he will no longer be a part of England's team. Pietersen played for Delhi Daredevils and Rising Pune Supergiant in the Indian Premier League, Melbourne Stars in the Big Bash League, St Lucia Stars in the Caribbean and Sunfoil Dolphins in South Africa. He also represented Surrey in county cricket. In 104 Tests for England, Pietersen scored 8,181 runs at an average of 47.28, with 23 centuries and 35 fifties. In 136 One Day Internationals (ODIs), he collected 4,440 runs with nine centuries and 25 half-centuries. He also appeared in 37 T20Is, scoring 1,176 runs with seven half-centuries and was part of the World T20 winning team in 2010. Former teammate Michael Vaughan was among the first to congratulate KP on his "fantastic career", even calling him "the best batsman" that he played with. 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 — Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan) March 16, 2018 × In February 2014, England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) sacked Pietersen, because they could not be confident of his full support for captain Alastair Cook, according to The Guardian.

Kevin Pietersen confirms retirement in heartfelt Instagram post

<p>England&#39;s star batsman Kevin Pietersen seems to have decided to end his professional cricket career after the Pakistan Super League&#39;s third edition, which will begin in Dubai on Thursday.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Pietersen, who will represent Quetta Gladiators in the PSL, posted a photo of him hugging his son before leaving to join the Gladiators in Dubai on Instagram.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&ldquo;Countless goodbyes to Jessica Taylor and my kids as a cricket player and this one this evening is the last one I&rsquo;ll ever have to do. I&rsquo;ve hated every goodbye but also known its work so just gotten on with it,&rdquo; Pietersen wrote.</p>

<p>The The right-handed batsman went on to add, &quot;The journey has been absolutely amazing and for the next three/four weeks I&#39;ll be a current professional and then it&#39;s chapter closed! Had my time and loved it but the endless goodbyes and travel need to calm down now.&quot;</p>

<p>&quot;Cricket has been the best!&quot; he added.&nbsp;</p>

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<p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BfZL0UejjW4/" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank">Countless goodbyes to @jessicalibertyx &amp; my kids as a cricket player &amp; this one this evening is the last one I&rsquo;ll ever have to do. I&rsquo;ve hated every goodbye but also known it&rsquo;s work so just gotten on with it. The journey has been absolutely amazing &amp; for the next 3/4 weeks I&rsquo;ll be a current professional &amp; then it&rsquo;s chapter closed! Had my time &amp; loved it but the endless goodbyes &amp; travel needs to calm down now. Cricket has been the best!</a></p>

<p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A post shared by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/kp24/" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px;" target="_blank"> Kevin Pietersen</a> (@kp24) on <time datetime="2018-02-19T21:33:44+00:00" style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;">Feb 19, 2018 at 1:33pm PST</time></p>
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<p>The batsman has guided Quetta to the finals of the first two PSL but last year didn&#39;t travel to Lahore last March for the title clash, citing security concerns by his family.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Meanwhile, Quetta Gladiators owner Nadeem Omar has said that Pietersen had also expressed his unwillingness to travel to Pakistan for the two play-off matches and final in Lahore and Karachi next month.</p>

<p>Pietersen was sidelined by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) in 2012 and again in 2014 after differences with the team management.&nbsp;</p>


Pietersen will represent Quetta Gladiators in the PSL

England's star batsman Kevin Pietersen seems to have decided to end his professional cricket career after the Pakistan Super League's third edition, which will begin in Dubai on Thursday. Pietersen, who will represent Quetta Gladiators in the PSL, posted a photo of him hugging his son before leaving to join the Gladiators in Dubai on Instagram. “Countless goodbyes to Jessica Taylor and my kids as a cricket player and this one this evening is the last one I’ll ever have to do. I’ve hated every goodbye but also known its work so just gotten on with it,” Pietersen wrote. The The right-handed batsman went on to add, "The journey has been absolutely amazing and for the next three/four weeks I'll be a current professional and then it's chapter closed! Had my time and loved it but the endless goodbyes and travel need to calm down now." "Cricket has been the best!" he added. Countless goodbyes to @jessicalibertyx & my kids as a cricket player & this one this evening is the last one I’ll ever have to do. I’ve hated every goodbye but also known it’s work so just gotten on with it. The journey has been absolutely amazing & for the next 3/4 weeks I’ll be a current professional & then it’s chapter closed! Had my time & loved it but the endless goodbyes & travel needs to calm down now. Cricket has been the best! A post shared by Kevin Pietersen (@kp24) on Feb 19, 2018 at 1:33pm PST × The batsman has guided Quetta to the finals of the first two PSL but last year didn't travel to Lahore last March for the title clash, citing security concerns by his family. Meanwhile, Quetta Gladiators owner Nadeem Omar has said that Pietersen had also expressed his unwillingness to travel to Pakistan for the two play-off matches and final in Lahore and Karachi next month. Pietersen was sidelined by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) in 2012 and again in 2014 after differences with the team management.

England's Kevin Pietersen announces end of cricketing career

<p>Virat Kohli&#39;s legendary status in world cricket grew further when the Indian captain smashed his 50th International century, which steered his side to safety in the first Test against Sri Lanka.</p>

<p>True to his aggressive demeanor and style, Kohli got to his 18th Test hundred with a flat and powerful six over extra cover off paceman Suranga Lakmal and let out a big roar, going down on his knees to celebrate the moment much like former England batsman Kevin Pietersen.</p>

<p>In the list of most number of centuries, Kohli sits at number eighth behind Brian Lara (53), Mahela Jayawardene (54), Hashim Amla (54), Jaques Kallis (62), Kumar Sangakkara (63) Ricky Ponting (71) and iconic Sachin Tendulkar (100), who is the only cricketer to get 100 international hundreds.</p>

<p>With 18 Test hundred to his name, Kohli has now gone ahead of Dilip Vengsarkar (17) but is still behind Mohammed Azharuddin (22), Virender Sehwag (23), Sunil Gavaskar (34), Rahul Dravid (36) and Tendulkar (51).</p>

<p>The Indian skipper also joined South African great Hashim Amla as the fastest to 50 centuries in International cricket in 348 innings.</p>

<p>The second in the list is Sachin Tendulkar (376 innings), who is followed by Ricky Ponting (420) and Brian Lara (465).</p>

<p>The Indian skipper, whose previous best at Eden Gardens was 45, survived an LBW decision on 72 against his first innings nemesis Suranga Lakmal and got it overturned by taking a DRS call.</p>

<p>After being circumspect against Lakmal, the Indian skipper slowly came on his own and hammered him for a six with an inside-out shot to get to the 90s.</p>

<p>Looking unperturbed, Kohli once again took on the Lankan pace spearhead with a gorgeous horizontal six over covers to raise his hundred and declared the Indian second innings at 352 for eight setting Sri Lanka a target of 231.</p>

<p>This was also his first Test hundred at the Eden Gardens as his average also shot past 50.</p>

<p>Kohli now has nine International centuries in 2017, the most by him in any year as well as the most number of ducks (five) by him in any year. His previous highest was eight centuries in 2012 and in 2014.</p>

<p>Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting had notched nine International 100s twice in 2005 and 2006, and Smith once in 2005.</p>

<p>Kohli is the also the first Indian captain to score a duck and a century in the same Test.</p>

<p>He has 21 International century as captain in 98 innings, behind South African Graeme Smith&#39;s 41 (368 innings) and Aussie great Ricky Ponting&#39;s feat of 41 (376 innings).</p>


With 18 Test hundred to his name, Kohli has now gone ahead of Dilip Vengsarkar (17) but is still behind Mohammed Azharuddin (22), Virender Sehwag (23), Sunil Gavaskar (34), Rahul Dravid (36) and Tendulkar (51).

Virat Kohli's legendary status in world cricket grew further when the Indian captain smashed his 50th International century, which steered his side to safety in the first Test against Sri Lanka. True to his aggressive demeanor and style, Kohli got to his 18th Test hundred with a flat and powerful six over extra cover off paceman Suranga Lakmal and let out a big roar, going down on his knees to celebrate the moment much like former England batsman Kevin Pietersen. In the list of most number of centuries, Kohli sits at number eighth behind Brian Lara (53), Mahela Jayawardene (54), Hashim Amla (54), Jaques Kallis (62), Kumar Sangakkara (63) Ricky Ponting (71) and iconic Sachin Tendulkar (100), who is the only cricketer to get 100 international hundreds. With 18 Test hundred to his name, Kohli has now gone ahead of Dilip Vengsarkar (17) but is still behind Mohammed Azharuddin (22), Virender Sehwag (23), Sunil Gavaskar (34), Rahul Dravid (36) and Tendulkar (51). The Indian skipper also joined South African great Hashim Amla as the fastest to 50 centuries in International cricket in 348 innings. The second in the list is Sachin Tendulkar (376 innings), who is followed by Ricky Ponting (420) and Brian Lara (465). The Indian skipper, whose previous best at Eden Gardens was 45, survived an LBW decision on 72 against his first innings nemesis Suranga Lakmal and got it overturned by taking a DRS call. After being circumspect against Lakmal, the Indian skipper slowly came on his own and hammered him for a six with an inside-out shot to get to the 90s. Looking unperturbed, Kohli once again took on the Lankan pace spearhead with a gorgeous horizontal six over covers to raise his hundred and declared the Indian second innings at 352 for eight setting Sri Lanka a target of 231. This was also his first Test hundred at the Eden Gardens as his average also shot past 50. Kohli now has nine International centuries in 2017, the most by him in any year as well as the most number of ducks (five) by him in any year. His previous highest was eight centuries in 2012 and in 2014. Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting had notched nine International 100s twice in 2005 and 2006, and Smith once in 2005. Kohli is the also the first Indian captain to score a duck and a century in the same Test. He has 21 International century as captain in 98 innings, behind South African Graeme Smith's 41 (368 innings) and Aussie great Ricky Ponting's feat of 41 (376 innings).

Kohli's staggering success story continues with 50th century

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England's Kevin Pietersen announces end of cricketing career

Kohli's staggering success story continues with 50th century