Big Bash League franchisee Melbourne Renegades accelerate KP pursuit

Sydney: Australia`s Big Bash League (BBL) franchisee Melbourne Renegades has stepped up their pursuit to sign hard hitting Kevin Pietersen after he was left out of the Test squad for the India tour and was deemed available before the Christmas period.

Renegades boss Stuart Coventry will fly to Sri Lanka on a recruiting mission next week to sign Pietersen for his team. Even BBL franchisee Sydney Sixers are keen to sign up Pietersen`s services for their team. Coventry had already arranged to scout for international players at the World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka, and has expressed hope about arranging a meeting with Pietersen, who is working as a commentator. "I`d like to [meet Pietersen], but I think I would want to get an indication first about his availability before talking further," a daily quoted Coventry, as saying. "I`m going over there to hopefully catch up with a number of different players who could be a potential marquee player for us, a No. 3, No. 4 bat. That`s my goal, and if he forms part of that, then he will be one of that group of players," he added. "We have three places left on our list, and one of them is for an international. If we can grab someone who stands up at the World Twenty20, that is our first priority. But now that Kevin Pietersen is back in the mix, there`s no doubt we and the Sixers have been having some dialogue with his management," he said. Coventry added: "If he is available, we`d love to grab him, but there`s a lot of curve balls in play at the moment, about his availability, whether he wants to come to Australia, whether he wants to come to Melbourne or Sydney." Each team is allowed two overseas players at one time, and the Renegades have signed Muthiah Muralitharan. ANI