Kevin Pietersen facts for kids
Pietersen in 2014
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| Full name |
Kevin Peter Pietersen
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| Born | 27 June 1980 Pietermaritzburg, South Africa |
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| Nickname | KP | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.93 m (6 ft 4 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Batting | Right-handed | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bowling | Right arm off break | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Role | Top-order batter | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| International information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| National side |
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| Test debut (cap 626) | 21 July 2005 v Australia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last Test | 3 January 2014 v Australia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ODI debut (cap 185) | 28 November 2004 v Zimbabwe | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last ODI | 16 September 2013 v Australia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ODI shirt no. | 24 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| T20I debut (cap 7) | 13 June 2005 v Australia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last T20I | 27 June 2013 v New Zealand | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| T20I shirt no. | 24 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Domestic team information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1997/98 | Natal B (squad no. 24) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1998/99 | KwaZulu Natal B (squad no. 24) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1998/99–1999/00 | KwaZulu Natal (squad no. 24) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2001–2004 | Nottinghamshire (squad no. 24) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2004 | Marylebone Cricket Club | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2005–2010 | Hampshire (squad no. 24) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009–2010 | Royal Challengers Bangalore (squad no. 24) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2010–2017 | Surrey (squad no. 24) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2010/11 | Dolphins | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2012–2014 | Delhi Daredevils (squad no. 24) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2014–2015 | St Lucia Stars (squad no. 24) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2014/15–2017/18 | Melbourne Stars (squad no. 24) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2015/16–2016/17 | Dolphins (squad no. 24) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2016–2018 | Quetta Gladiators (squad no. 24) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2016 | Rising Pune Supergiants (squad no. 24) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career statistics | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Source: ESPNcricinfo, 4 May 2019
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Kevin Peter Pietersen (born 27 June 1980) is a famous former cricket player for England. Many people think he is one of England's best ever batsmen. He was known for his strong batting and sometimes for being a bit controversial.
Pietersen was a right-handed batsman and sometimes bowled off spin. He played for England in all three types of cricket (Test, One Day International, and Twenty20) from 2004 to 2014. He was even captain for a short time. In 2010, he won the Player of the Series award when England won their first major trophy, the 2010 ICC World Twenty20.
Kevin Pietersen was born in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa. His father was South African and his mother was English. He started playing first-class cricket for Natal in 1997. In 2000, he moved to England. He felt that a system in South African cricket, which required a certain number of players from different backgrounds, made it hard for him to play.
Because his mother was English, Pietersen could play for England after living there for four years. He joined Nottinghamshire and was soon called up to the England team. He played his first international game in 2004 against Zimbabwe. His first Test match was in the exciting 2005 Ashes series against Australia.
Pietersen later moved to Hampshire in 2005. However, he played mostly for England, so he didn't play many games for Hampshire. In 2010, he decided to leave Hampshire and joined Surrey.
He was England's Test and One Day International captain from August 2008 to January 2009. He stepped down after some disagreements with the England coach. His relationship with the ECB (the cricket board) was often difficult. In 2012, he announced he was retiring from limited-overs international cricket, but then changed his mind. However, his relationship with the ECB and his teammates became strained. He played his last game for England in 2014.
Pietersen also played for many club teams around the world. These included the Melbourne Stars in Australia, the Quetta Gladiators in Pakistan, and the Rising Pune Supergiants in India.
He is one of the fastest batsmen to reach 1,000 and 2,000 runs in One Day International (ODI) cricket. He also reached 4,000, 5,000, and 7,000 Test runs faster than most players. In 2007, he became only the third English batsman to be ranked number one in ODI cricket. In 2018, the ECB named him in England's greatest Test team ever.
Contents
Early Life and Family
Kevin Pietersen was born in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa. His mother, Penny, was English, and his father, Jannie, was South African. Kevin had a strict but loving childhood with his three brothers, Tony, Greg, and Bryan. He learned important lessons about discipline from his parents.
When he was 11, a forearm injury stopped him from playing rugby. Instead, he played hockey, tennis, and squash. These sports helped make his right arm very strong for batting.
Pietersen went to Maritzburg College in Pietermaritzburg. He played his first-class cricket game for Natal's B team when he was 17. At that time, he was seen more as a bowler who could also hit the ball hard.
In 2000, he spent five months playing club cricket in England for Cannock CC. He helped them win a league title. This first trip away from home was tough for him. He lived in a small room and worked in the club bar. However, he returned to South Africa as a better batsman because he didn't get many chances to bowl in England.
Clive Rice, a cricket coach, saw Pietersen play and invited him to join Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club. Pietersen was excited to play top-level cricket under a coach he admired.
Pietersen is married to Jessica Taylor, a former singer from the group Liberty X. They got married in December 2007. Their first child, a son, was born in 2010. Their second child, a daughter, was born in 2015. Kevin took time off from playing cricket to be there for both births.
The family divides their time between Surrey in England and the Sabie River area in South Africa. Kevin sees South Africa as his first home and England as his second.
Playing Career
Early Years in South Africa
In 1999, Kevin Pietersen impressed some England players when he played for KwaZulu Natal. He took four wickets and scored 61 runs, hitting four sixes. After this, the England captain suggested that Pietersen should try to get a contract with an English county team.
Pietersen felt he was dropped from the Natal team because of a rule that required provincial teams to have a certain number of players from different backgrounds. He believed players should be chosen only on their skill. He said it was "heartbreaking" to be left out, but it turned out to be a good thing for his career.
English Club Cricket
Nottinghamshire
In 2000, Nottinghamshire offered Pietersen a three-year contract. He scored his first century (100 runs) in his very first game for Nottinghamshire. In his first season, he scored 1,275 runs, averaging 57.95 runs per game. This included a huge score of 218 not out.
His great form continued in the next year. He scored another double-century (over 200 runs) and four centuries in a row in August. In 2003, Pietersen scored 1,546 runs in first-class cricket. He was chosen for the England cricket academy tour of India, where he scored 523 runs in six games.
After Nottinghamshire was moved to a lower league in 2003, Pietersen wanted to leave the club. He felt the cricket pitch was not good. This led to a disagreement with the team captain. Pietersen had to stay for one more year but said he "didn't enjoy it at all."
Hampshire
In October 2004, Pietersen joined Hampshire. Because he became a regular player for England, he didn't get to play much for Hampshire. England's coach decided when he could play for his county team.
He played well for Hampshire when he had the chance, scoring two centuries in 2005. However, he only played a few games for them between 2006 and 2008. In 2010, he announced he would leave Hampshire because he wanted to live closer to London.
Surrey
Pietersen then joined Surrey on loan for the rest of the 2010 season. He scored a century in his first game for Surrey. He then signed a permanent contract with Surrey starting in 2011.
In 2015, Pietersen decided to play county cricket again to try and get back into the England team. He scored his highest ever first-class score of 355 not out for Surrey. However, the new Director of Cricket for England told him he would not be chosen for the national team again.
In July 2017, Pietersen returned to play for Surrey in a Twenty20 competition. He scored 52 runs, including four sixes in a row. He later announced that he would donate all his earnings from this season to help save rhinos. After getting injured, Pietersen left Surrey and English cricket.
Overseas Club Cricket
Indian Premier League
In 2014, the Delhi Daredevils team in the Indian Premier League (IPL) bought Pietersen for a lot of money. He was the captain of the team that season. He had played for Delhi Daredevils before, in 2012, and had his best IPL season then, scoring 305 runs, including a century.
In 2015, the Sunrisers Hyderabad bought Pietersen. However, he was released by the team before the tournament started. He planned to rejoin them later but was injured.
Melbourne Stars
Pietersen signed with the Melbourne Stars in Australia's Big Bash League for two years in 2014. He was a big hit for the team. In 2016, he helped them reach their first Grand Final. He signed another two-year contract, playing until the 2017–18 season.
Caribbean Premier League
Pietersen also played Twenty20 cricket in the Caribbean Premier League. He joined the St Lucia Zouks team in 2014.
Other Teams
He also played for the Quetta Gladiators in the Pakistan Super League and the Hollywoodbets Dolphins in South Africa. In 2016, he was signed by the Rising Pune Supergiants for the Indian Premier League. In July 2014, he played for the Rest of the World team in a special match at Lord's.
In January 2018, Pietersen announced he would retire from all forms of cricket at the end of the 2018 season. He did play again in 2020 in a special event called the Ultimate Cricket Challenge.
International Career Highlights
England Debut
Kevin Pietersen could play for England because his mother was English. After playing county cricket in England for four years, he was quickly chosen to play for the national team. His first international game was against Zimbabwe in 2004.
The tour to Zimbabwe caused some concerns among players about safety and the quality of the Zimbabwean team. Pietersen was brought into the squad. In the five-match series, he batted well, scoring 77 not out in one game. England won the series 4–0.
Success in South Africa
Pietersen was initially disappointed not to be chosen for the tour to South Africa. But when another player got injured, Pietersen was called up. He played very well, scoring 97 runs in a warm-up game. During the tour, the South African crowd often booed him because they saw him as a "traitor" for playing for England.
Pietersen scored 108 not out in one game, which ended in a tie. He then made an unbeaten 100 runs from only 69 balls in another game, which was the fastest century by an England player in a one-day match at that time. He ended the series with 454 runs and was named Player of the Series. By the end of the tour, the South African crowds started to respect his amazing batting.
He was not chosen for the Test matches against Bangladesh due to a foot injury. However, his good form in county cricket led to him being selected for a Twenty20 match against Australia. He scored 34 runs and took three catches, earning him the 'man of the match' award.
2005 Ashes Triumph
Pietersen made his Test debut in the first Ashes Test against Australia at Lord's. He was the 626th player to play for England. In his first innings, he scored 57 runs. In the second innings, he scored 64 not out, becoming one of only a few players to score two half-centuries on debut for England. England lost this match.
In the second Test, he scored 71 runs. England won this match by just two runs. In the final Test at The Oval, Pietersen was under pressure to score big. He was dropped by Australian fielders three times before he reached his first Test century. He went on to score 158 runs, which helped England win the Ashes series. This was a huge moment for English cricket. He hit seven sixes in that innings, breaking a record. Pietersen was named Man of the Match and was the top scorer in the series with 473 runs.
Post-Ashes Performances
After the Ashes, Pietersen had a mixed time in Test matches against Pakistan and India. He scored his second Test century against Pakistan, hitting a six to reach 100 runs. In India, he scored two half-centuries. He was often the top scorer for England in the one-day series against India.
In 2006, Pietersen scored 158 runs against Sri Lanka, matching his highest Test score. He then made 142 runs in another match, which included a famous "switch hit" shot. This shot involves changing from a right-handed to a left-handed stance as the bowler runs in. This performance helped him reach 1,000 Test runs and moved him into the top ten of world cricket rankings.
In the 2006-07 Ashes series in Australia, Pietersen was seen as England's key player. He scored 490 runs in five matches, averaging over fifty. He scored 92 runs in the first Test and 158 runs in the second Test. Despite his efforts, England lost the series 5–0.
2007 World Cup
In the 2007 Cricket World Cup, Pietersen played very well. He scored 60 runs against New Zealand and 50 against Kenya. He made 104 runs against Australia, which was the first World Cup century by an Englishman against Australia since 1996. His strong performances helped him become the number-one ranked batsman in the world for ODIs. In England's final match, he scored 100 runs and helped run out the famous West Indies captain, Brian Lara. He finished the tournament with 444 runs and was named in the 'Team of the Tournament'.
Record-Breaking Scores
In 2007, Pietersen scored his highest Test score of 226 against the West Indies. This score was made from 262 balls and included 24 fours and 2 sixes. With this innings, he moved up the list of batsmen with the most runs in their first 25 Tests, second only to the legendary Sir Don Bradman. This was also the highest Test score for England since 1990.
Later in 2007, he scored his 10th Test century, making 101 runs against India. He also played in the Twenty20 Championship in South Africa, where he hit his highest Twenty20 score of 79 runs off 37 balls against Zimbabwe.
Captaincy and Challenges
Pietersen became England's Test and ODI captain in August 2008. He scored a century in his first match as captain. England then beat South Africa 4–0 in the ODI matches.
However, his time as captain was short. In January 2009, after England lost to India, there were reports of disagreements between Pietersen and the England coach. Pietersen resigned as captain, and the coach was also removed. Andrew Strauss took over as captain.
Return to Form
After stepping down as captain, Pietersen continued to play well. He scored 97 runs in his first match back in the West Indies. He also scored his fastest Test century, making 102 runs off 92 balls.
In 2009, he was bought by Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Indian Premier League for a record amount of money. He captained the team for a few matches before returning to play for England.
Pietersen also played in the 2009 ICC World Twenty20. He scored 58 runs against Pakistan and 53 not out against Scotland. He ended the tournament as England's top run-scorer.
2010 World Twenty20 Victory
Pietersen was a key player in England's squad for the 2010 ICC World Twenty20 in the West Indies. He scored 73 not out against Pakistan and 53 runs against South Africa, earning him the 'man of the match' award.
He briefly returned home for the birth of his son but came back for the semi-final against Sri Lanka. He scored a vital 42 not out, helping England reach their first major ICC tournament final. In the final against Australia, he scored 47 runs. His innings was crucial in helping England win their first major ICC trophy. Pietersen was named 'man of the series' for his important contributions.
Later Career and Retirement
In the 2010–11 Ashes series in Australia, Pietersen was in great form. He scored 227 runs in the second Test, his second double-century. He also took a wicket with his bowling. England won this match by a large margin and went on to win the Ashes series.
In 2011, Pietersen was part of England's squad for the 2011 Cricket World Cup. He had to return home early due to a hernia injury. After recovering, he scored 202 not out against India at Lord's. During this innings, he passed 6,000 runs in Tests, reaching this milestone faster than anyone else in terms of time.
In 2012, Pietersen scored his 20th Test century against Sri Lanka. He also scored his first century in Twenty20 cricket while playing for the Delhi Daredevils in the IPL. In May 2012, he was fined for comments he made online.
On 31 May 2012, Pietersen announced he was retiring from one-day international cricket. However, he later changed his mind. In the summer of 2012, he scored 149 runs against South Africa and took his best bowling figures of 3 wickets for 52 runs. He was later not chosen for a Test match due to issues with messages he sent.
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In October 2012, the ECB confirmed that Pietersen could return to the England team. He played in India and scored 338 runs, including a century. This century was his 22nd, matching the England record at the time.
He played in the 2013 Ashes series, scoring a century in the third match. He also became England's highest run-scorer across all forms of cricket combined. His last Ashes tour in 2013–14 was less successful, and England lost 5–0. After this tour, the ECB announced in February 2014 that Pietersen would no longer be chosen for international cricket. He released a statement saying he was "hugely proud" of what he and the team had achieved.
Life After Cricket
Since retiring from playing cricket, Kevin Pietersen has written several books about his life and career. He has also spoken about how grateful he is to have more time with his family. He has often said that he regrets trying "too hard to be English" and wishes he had balanced it more with his South African roots.
Pietersen is a strong supporter of protecting endangered animals in South Africa. In 2018, he opened a luxury resort near Kruger National Park. He also started an organization called Saving Our Rhinos Africa & India (SORAI) to help with rhinoceros conservation. In 2019, he was featured in a BBC podcast about his work fighting illegal poaching.
Achievements and Awards
Awards
Pietersen received many awards for his great performances in 2005.
- He was named the ICC ODI Cricketer of the Year.
- He was also named the Emerging Cricketer of the Year.
- He was one of the five Wisden Cricketers of the Year for his role in winning the 2005 Ashes series.
- In 2006, he was given the Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) award for his services to cricket.
Records
- He has the second-highest run total from his first 25 Tests, only behind Sir Don Bradman.
- He was the fourth Englishman to be the top scorer in both innings of his debut Test match.
- He was one of only twenty-five players to have a very high ICC batting rating (over 900).
- He reached 5,000 Test runs faster than anyone else in terms of time (4 years and 243 days).
International Centuries
Pietersen scored 23 centuries in Test matches and 9 centuries in One Day International (ODI) matches. This means he scored a total of 32 centuries in his international career.
See also
In Spanish: Kevin Pietersen para niños
