KP Retires from ODI

England batsman Kevin Pietersen has announced his retirement from international limited-overs cricket.

The 31-year-old made his debut in 2004 and played 127 one-day internationals and 36 Twenty20 internationals.

"I think it is the right time to step aside and let the next generation of players come through to gain experience for the World Cup in 2015," he said.

"I still wish to be considered for selection for England in Test cricket."

South Africa-born Pietersen, who has an English mother, has been one of the most successful England batsmen of recent times since he qualified to play international cricket by serving four years in the county game.

His 4,184 one-day international runs puts him sixth in the all-time list of England batsmen, and he heads their T20 list with 1,176 runs, the only England player to pass four figures in the shortest form of the game.

Managing director of England Cricket, Hugh Morris said: "The England and Wales Cricket Board is disappointed by the timing of Kevin's decision less than four months before we defend our ICC World Twenty20 title.

"Kevin is a world class player and I would like to take this opportunity to thank him for his efforts and we look forward to his continued contributions to the Test match side.

"As the programming and planning for ODI and T20 format cricket are very closely linked we have a selection policy that means that any player making himself unavailable for either of the one day formats, rules himself out of consideration for both formats.

"The selectors will now replace Kevin in both the ODI and the T20 squads."

Pietersen, who was Player of the Tournament in England's ICC World Twenty20 triumph in the Caribbean in 2010, had been expected to be at the forefront of the side again during this year's tournament, which takes place in Sri Lanka from 18 September to 7 October.

"For the record, were the selection criteria not in place, I would have readily played for England in the upcoming ICC World Twenty20," Pietersen commented.

England spinner Graeme Swann recently told BBC Sport that he thought 50-over one-day international should be scrapped.