Pietersen calls time on Big Bash career

Former England batsman Kevin Pietersen says he will not be playing in next season's Big Bash League as he moves closer to retirement. The T20 specialist, who has been playing with Melbourne Stars, will line up in this year's Pakistan Super League and Cricket South Africa's events. But the 37-year-old has strongly suggested that he is unlikely to play beyond the end of the year. "I'm done and dusted [with my] playing days," he told Australian media.

"Done and dusted." Kevin Pietersen has announced his impending retirement from cricket: https://t.co/dIufvjplEc pic.twitter.com/mhzDOoMoSM

— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) January 6, 2018

"You come to the end of your time and you get to a time in your career where you just think, 'Do I want this?'. I want this desperately at the moment, but I don't think I'll want it in 10 months' time." Pietersen's international spell ended when England sacked him in 2014. and his career in England finished with Surrey's quarter-final defeat in last year's T20 Blast. He also said he wanted to stay involved with the Stars, where he has played for four seasons. "I love Melbourne. To have some sort of [Stars] involvement going forward would be immense value for me," he said.