… ignore Twitter rant
(REUTERS) – Kevin Pietersen has been dropped by England for the first time in his international career but they have ignored his Twitter rant from earlier in the day. The ECB said in a statement that the 30-year-old batsman had been omitted from their squads for the Twenty20 internationals against Pakistan which start on Sunday and the five one-dayers that follow.
Pietersen will play the remainder of the county season with Surrey following a loan agreement between Hampshire and Surrey at the request of the England Team management and the ECB.
Pietersen had angrily announced on Twitter that he has been dropped: “Done for rest of summer!! Man of the World Cup T20 and dropped from the T20 side too. Its a f**k up!!,” Pietersen posted on his account kevinpp24.
The post was hastily removed from the England batsman’s account, but only after numerous users had reacted to the announcement. It is the latest case of a cricketer getting himself into trouble on Twitter, after Phil Hughes of Australia announced his omission from a Test match during last summer’s Ashes series.
Another tweet which was taken off Pietersen’s account revealed that the former England captain was set to join Surrey after his departure from Hampshire.
Pietersen has struggled for form since he returned from England’s victorious World Twenty20 campaign in West Indies.
The 30-year-old has mustered just one half-century all summer, with a streaky 80 in the second Test against Pakistan, leaving his place under scrutiny.
In the official ECB press release Pietersen was quoted as saying: “While I’m naturally disappointed to have been omitted from the England squad I fully understand the reasons why and will be doing everything I can to get back into the England team.
“I have no issue with the selectors omitting me from the limited overs squads and my sole focus now is working on my game ahead of an exciting winter.
“I would also like to add my huge thanks to Surrey for giving me this opportunity and I hope I can repay them with some runs.”
England are due to face under-fire Pakistan for two Twenty20 and five one-day internationals, beginning with the encounter at Sophia Gardens, Cardiff, on September 5.
Twenty20 squad: Collingwood, Anderson, Bopara, Bresnan, Broad, Steven Davies, Kieswetter, Morgan, Sidebottom, Swann, Luke Wright, Yardy.
One-day squad: Strauss, Anderson, Bopara, Bresnan, Broad, Collingwood, Steven Davies, Morgan, Shahzad, Sidebottom, Swann, Trott, Luke Wright, Yardy.