London: Kevin Pietersen, who has held a number of meetings with top officials from the England management in an attempt to resurrect his international career, is expected to become a freelance cricketer after his current England contract ends on October 1.
It is also highly unlikely that he would be included in the team that would tour India.
According to a leading daily, despite a string of meetings over the past week, during which Pietersen has explained his side of the story on a one-to-one basis to coach Andy Flower, captain Alastair Cook and the England team director, Hugh Morris, he remains out in the cold as England prepare to name their touring party for India on Thursday.
Pietersen has already been linked to a six-figure offer from one Australian franchise to play in their Twenty20 tournament, the Big Bash, and unless his England career resumes in early 2013 he will be free to play the whole of the Indian Premier League, an arrangement that would be worth around 1.5 million pounds, the paper said.
Pietersen’s meetings with England have been good-natured and he is believed to have explained he did not send messages to the South African side with tactical information to dismiss former captain Andrew Strauss, the paper added.
The South Africa born batsman admitted there is no record of the exchanges as they were sent via Blackberry messenger, although he is thought to have cleared the air with Strauss, the paper further reported.
Unless the situation changes, Pietersen’s winter diary will feature only Twenty20 cricket starting with the Champions League tournament for his IPL franchise, Delhi Daredevils, in October, the paper further added.
The England squad fly to Sri Lanka on Thursday for the World Twenty20 tournament just as the tour squad for India is expected to be announced, the paper concluded.
ANI
First Published: Wednesday, September 12, 2012, 11:14