Tuesday 12 May 2015 16:58, UK
England director of cricket Andrew Strauss has told Sky Sports News HQ there is a 'trust issue' with Kevin Pietersen and that he is 'not part of our plans for the summer'.
Pietersen, who has scored 8,181 Test runs, has been absent from the England team since the 5-0 Ashes whitewash early in 2014 but the arrival of Colin Graves as ECB chairman sparked speculation that the 34-year-old might be brought out of the wilderness.
He gave up his contract in the Indian Premier League and re-signed with Surrey, for whom he scored an undefeated triple-century against Leicestershire on Monday before meeting Strauss and ECB chief executive Tom Harrison later that evening.
Speaking before that meeting, Pietersen said: "I'm desperate to play for England again. I just want to score runs. Personal differences between personalities has nothing to do with what the public wants. The public wants to see England cricket winning."
On Tuesday morning, Strauss said: "Now is the time for some really honest and open conversation about Kevin Pietersen. No one has ever doubted his ability as a batsman or as a cricket player.
"Over the months and years, the trust has eroded. It is not in the best short-term interests of the side for Kevin Pietersen to be in the team this summer, but he is not barred from the side.
"At the moment, we are quite estranged. I went to see him last night to let him know he's not part of our plans for the summer. This is not about Kevin Pietersen - it is about the future of English cricket. My job is to develop a side that is capable of winning matches over the next four years."
Despite the ongoing estrangement, Strauss later told Sky News reporter Paul Kelso he had offered Pietersen the chance to become an advisor on England's one-day cricket; the offer was refused.
Strauss said: "Kevin has got brilliant experience in one-day cricket, he's played Twenty20 competitions all around the world, he's got some very strong views on one-day cricket and I think it would be madness not to try to get that information out of his head and help us form a strategy for English cricket going forwards.
"That's why I asked him to be on that board, that and because I also saw it as a way of repairing trust. At the moment he doesn't feel like he's able to take up that position. I understand that. I hope over time he can reconsider."
Strauss also confirmed that he will be part of the selection process for this summer's Ashes series and that Jason Gillespie, the current Yorkshire coach, is among the names being considered to replace head coach Peter Moores.
He added: "I will be part of the process this summer but as far as the personalities involved - it stays in place for the summer and then it will be reviewed. We need to pinpoint the best way to identify talent in the county game. We need to see how the structure fits together and who is responsible for what.
"Jason Gillespie is one of the candidates, yes. We need one over-arching coach. I won't play a tracksuit role here - the strategy will be down to the coach. My job is to plan for the future."
While Strauss was speaking at Lord's, Pietersen was carrying on with his mammoth innings at the Oval. However, he was left unbeaten on 355 - two short of Bobby Abel's all-time Surrey record, set in 1899 - after last man Matt Dunn was dismissed. Dunn made five but helped Pietersen add 139 for the last wicket.
Watch the first Test between England and New Zealand live on Sky Sports 2 HD, starting on Thursday 21 May at 10am.
Read the full transcript of the interview Sky Sports' Tim Abraham conducted with Andrew Strauss at Lord's on Tuesday.
