Kevin Pietersen will not be recalled by England despite scoring an impressive unbeaten stand of 326 for Surrey, according to reports.
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The South African-born batsman made his first triple century of his career, sending a timely reminder of his quality to England selectors ahead of the upcoming Ashes series.
However he will not be considered by England after a meeting with new ECB cricket director Andrew Strauss, according to BBC Sport.
After notching up 326 at The Oval, Pietersen said he was “desperate” to win back his spot in the England Test side.
“I’m desperate to play for England again. That’s what I want to do. It’s not just numbers, but how important the timing is,” Pietersen told Sky Sports.
“The pressure I was under this morning … that’s one of the best innings I’ve ever played.
“I knew that I basically needed to answer and question with runs and goodness: 326 is a pretty good argument.”
Pietersen was sacked by England in February 2014 following the side’s 5-0 Ashes defeat in Australia after being told he was a disruptive presence in the squad.
Strauss and Pietersen have had their personal differences, and the former was forced to apologise after making an offensive remark about his former teammate during a TV broadcast.
New ECB chairman Colin Graves left the door open for Pietersen’s return, resulting in the 34-year-old dumping his Indian Premier League commitments to play County cricket for Surrey.
Despite his good form, it now seems an international return for Pietersen is off the cards.
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