CSA approve Pietersen return

Batsman given the okay for spell in South African domestic cricket

Last updated: 9th September 2010   Subscribe to RSS Feed

CSA approve Pietersen return

Pietersen: aiming to make splash with Dolphins

We benefiting from him and him benefiting from us.

Jesse Chellan
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Kevin Pietersen's two-match stint with KwaZulu Natal Dolphins has been given the all-clear by Cricket South Africa.

Pietersen will play in the Dolphins' first-class matches against the Warriors (Oct 7-10) and Titans (Oct 14-17) in an effort to regain form ahead of England's Ashes tour.

The Pietermaritzburg-born batsman started his career with the Dolphins, making his first-class debut for them in 1997 before leaving to pursue his career in England.

He progressed to international level in 2004 but after a recent run of poor form was dropped for the first time by his adopted country for their T20 and one-day series against Pakistan.

Pietersen, who has not scored an international century for 18 months, is currently on loan at Surrey where he is playing the final two fixtures of the LV County Championship season.

The 30-year-old will then briefly head back to the land of his birth after CSA approved the Dolphins' request.

Dolphins chief executive Jesse Chellan confirmed Pietersen will not be paid by the franchise.

Mutual benefit

"It is a two-game arrangement because that's the window he is available for. He has other commitments thereafter," said Chellan.

"I don't want to comment on the individual contract, but finances are not part of it.

"He's a world-class player so his expertise on the field of play will be very valuable.

"We've got a very young squad here and last year we released a lot of senior players, so the team is very young.

"Nine out of the 10 players that we have recruited, the average age is 19, so we're hoping he will influence them in a positive manner in terms of confidence and self-belief."

Asked whether there was any possibility of the deal being extended or Pietersen returning in the future, Chellan added: "It's difficult to speculate about that.

"I think the first instance is for us to have Kevin here and to work together with him.

"He has two games working with (coach) Graham Ford, given that Graham has a history with Kevin, so it should be a mutually beneficial relationship.

"We benefiting from him and him benefiting from us."

Comments (8)

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Geoff Single says...

I hope all of South Africa enjoy having our kp playing in their country but i just hope the weather isnt too hot for him his english mother english wife and english baby.It should be good for his confidence scoring lots of runs against clearly inferior bowling and then onward to the ashes the biggest and best series in world cricket

Posted 21:25 10th September 2010

Jamie Williamson says...

Kevin Pieterson has been fantastic for cricket in this country, and in 2005, helped cricket to rejuvinate itself, with the nations public. He will create interest in SA, and bring the public through the gates at Kingsmead, in their droves, to watch him. Hopefully it will help him find some form, ahead of a massive tour for England. There is nothing negative, at all, about this plan, and I think, he is showing determination and guts, to get his place in the national squads back.

Posted 20:19 9th September 2010

B B says...

People wake up! please read the email of ''South africa South africa says...'' again absolutlely right! i am upset too...reason being i lived and worked for 10 years in a neighbouring state, i just recently returned ,TO MY HOME LAND, first of all if you have given up on your home country why should you want to return? despite of what happens/ed, you live and work through it, you dont run away, i have no respect for the man, he became such a "Pop Idol", even the comentators over their made as if SA was bad. i even neverheard of him even when i was in SA, sorry for the ignorance, but if he was good i would have known him earlier, it shows how in-experience they are over their when it comes to sport, why i say so is that even my wife played County Cricket and became the top, batman and fielder in a space of months..., and the only cricket she played was street cricket in her teens! now wake up and do the calc''s! , I wonder if he Flew the SA Flag proudly during our hosting of the world cup?...or rather Promoted us ...? i know the answer..do you?... and If you didnt know ! he has the English Crest Tattood out on his arm, for YOU to see, ..so on that note enough said!

Posted 15:38 9th September 2010

Daniel Thorpe says...

Maybe (above) because he is a world class batsman and Natal want to win cricket matches. Plus, what has Hansie Cronje got to do with this. He cheated, he got banned. End of story!

Posted 12:31 9th September 2010

Jim Wilson says...

Quite a lot was made of a historical comment by KP about 6 years ago now, but this just goes to show that not everyone in S Africa was of the Graeme Smith school of thought - that he had more friends in the cricketing world of S Africa than some might have portrayed it as. I think times have moved on as well and there''s no point simply trying to go back to a couple of moments 6/7 years ago when he was perceived (by certain S Africans) to be a lot more negative about cricket in S Africa than he was.

Posted 12:29 9th September 2010

South africa South africa says...

I completely disagree with my fellow safa! I think it''s great that we have come to this situation where he can return. It shows that we''ve moved on from the bitterness of the early KP days, I hope that the durban crowd give him a good reception. We have to remember that it was our system that meant he left, can''t wait to watch him play!

Posted 12:04 9th September 2010

Jordan Wagner says...

Hansie was a match fixer. KP is not! You cannot put these two players in the same bracket. He is a world class player no matter what the form... If he gets a ton for the Dolphins England will welcome him back with open arms

Posted 11:59 9th September 2010

South africa South africa says...

I can''t believe after everything he has said about South Africa and about the Natal Dolphins that they have allowed him to play. Why should we allow him to play in our country to allow him to him his form to help England win the Ashes over Australia. Hansie was banned for life from playing cricket and we allow this man to play in our beautiful country after saying extremely horrible things about us. There is no justice. I find this upsetting

Posted 11:31 9th September 2010
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