New England Deal for KP

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Kevin Pietersen will be offered a new England contract, says head coach Andy Flower.

Pietersen currently has a four-month deal with the England and Wales Cricket Board after he was not initially picked for the tour of India.

Batsman Pietersen was dropped in August for sending 'provocative texts' to South Africa players.

"The contract won't be a problem," said Flower. "Kevin has been excellent in every way."

Pietersen agreed a four-month deal at the end of September, in order to take part in the tour of India, which ended on Monday with an historic first Test series victory since 1984-85.

"We did move on from it as soon as we had our meetings and everyone made a commitment to do so," Flower said of the negotiations which brought Pietersen back into the fold.

"We don't all always get on with people all of the time - any of us in any walk of life - and everyone has made an effort to make it work.

"It's been really good fun and he should be very proud of the way he's operated out here, both as an individual and as a player."

Pietersen's hundred in the second Test in Mumbai was the man-of-the-match performance in a comeback victory which set England on the way to their 2-1 series success.

"For him to score as quickly as he did there and put such pressure on the opposition bowlers really helped us turn the series around," said Flower.

"He's been excellent in the field and in the dressing room."

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KP Warms Up With Tour Century

Kevin Pietersen hit a stylish century as England ended day one of their final warm-up match against Haryana on 408-3.

In his second innings back since being dropped for allegedly criticising team-mates in text messages to South Africa players, he hit 16 fours and three sixes in making 110 from 94 balls.

Skipper Alastair Cook made 97, sharing a 166-run opening stand with Nick Compton (74), while Ian Bell scored 57.

The first Test of the series with India starts on 15 November in Ahmedabad.

Compton, the grandson of legendary England batsman Denis, began his first senior tour with scores of nought and one but his second successive half-century could secure his place in the Test side ahead of Joe Root, who made 28 and 24 in his only appearance to date.

Batting together for the first time, Cook and Compton guided England past 100 before lunch, with all but one over in the morning session bowled by seamers.

Cook struck a succession of early boundaries, including three in one over, before edging a cut to wicketkeeper Sandeep Singh, who took the catch standing up to the wicket off the very first delivery after replacing the injured Nitin Saini.

Compton, who drove impressively through the off side and showed good use of the feet in striking nine fours from 144 balls, reached his half-century with a six off spinner Jayant Yadav.

Captaining Haryana, India's frontline spinner Amit Mishra did not bring himself into the attack until the 51st over, with the tourists 211-1.

But it took him only seven deliveries before he broke through, trapping Compton leg before with a quicker delivery.

After giving a sharp return chance to Yadav on 42, Pietersen, who made 23 on his return to the team against India A last month, survived again on 85 thanks a misjudgement from Amit Vashisht in the deep on the leg side.

But he played a series of imperious drives and pulls, and unveiled a new stroke - a form of reverse scoop to manufacture runs fine on the off side - to reach three figures from 86 balls before retiring hurt soon afterwards with slight signs of cramp in the hot conditions.

Bell, who scored only nine runs in his first two innings on the tour, struck a six in the first over he faced, passed 50 with another maximum and shared an assured century stand with Pietersen.

"To score 400 in a day is not going to do us any harm and it's just trying to create good habits," the Warwickshire batsman told BBC Sport.

Asked about Pietersen leaving the field, he quipped: "I think he was just trying to get away from running quick singles.

"I think he's fine and he'll be really happy with the way he played today. I know the team is, and it's a really happy camp."

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KP Reintegrates into England Side

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Kevin Pietersen's "reintegration" into the England side is set to be completed when he faces India A this week.

Pietersen, 32, was dropped in August for sending "provocative" text messages to South Africa players.

Left out of the India tour party, he was recalled after meeting with coach Andy Flower and senior players.

He plays in England's opening tour match, which starts on Tuesday, when Nick Compton is set to open the batting with captain Alastair Cook.

Compton will be preferred at the top of the order to fellow uncapped batsman Joe Root of Yorkshire.

"He is down to play and will be batting at four," Flower said of Pietersen.

The three-day match in Mumbai will be Pietersen's first for England since he made a brilliant 149 in the second Test against South Africa at Headingley in early August.

Cook said: "He's desperate to get going and we are desperate to have him back in the team.

"As I have always said, it's great to have world-class players in our team and, if we want to play the standard of cricket we know we are capable of, we will have to have our best players.

"As a senior batter, he is there to get runs and, off the field, to pass on his experience to the rest of the lads.

"He has played a huge amount of cricket, some 90 Test matches, and he has experience of sub-continent cricket with the IPL [Indian Premier League].

"That experience is valuable to us if we are going to get used to the conditions as quickly as we can."

Pietersen was omitted from England's squad for the defence of their World Twenty20 as discussions were held over his future.

Pietersen apologised to then captain Andrew Strauss, and Cook welcomed his return after the right-hander agreed a new four-month contract with the England and Wales Cricket Board and was added to the tour party.

Flower said he saw no reason why Pietersen's short-term contract would not be extended to 12 months.

"I hadn't actually thought much about the extension of his contract," he said. "We're here focusing on playing well in India; I don't envisage a problem.

"We've had some great success and some great times together over the last few years.

"I think we can work very well together in the future and we've already started that process."

Flower said he was confident Pietersen would return to his best for England.

"It takes a little while to get back into your rhythm and top form, but he's an amazing cricketer," he said.

"I'm looking forward to him being involved. We had a long chat this morning, we've had a number of chats on the phone and of course he flew back to England just recently. I think we'll work well together."

Pietersen joined the squad in India on Sunday from South Africa, where he had been playing for IPL side Delhi Daredevils in the T20 Champions League.

Upon the team's arrival in India on Monday, England announced that Twenty20 skipper Stuart Broad had been promoted to Test vice-captain for the tour.

The first match of the four-game Test series starts in Ahmedabad on 15 November.

England in India

30 Oct-1 Nov: v India A, Mumbai

3-5 Nov: v Mumbai A, Mumbai

8-11 Nov: Tour match (opponents TBC), Ahmedabad

15-19 Nov: 1st Test, Ahmedabad

23-27 Nov: 2nd Test, Mumbai

5-9 Dec: 3rd Test, Kolkata

13-17 Dec: 4th Test, Nagpur

20 Dec: 1st T20 international, Pune

22 Dec: 2nd T20 international, Mumbai

11 Jan: 1st ODI, Rajkot

15 Jan: 2nd ODI, Kochi

19 Jan: 3rd ODI, Ranchi

23 Jan: 4th ODI, Dharamsala

27 Jan: 5th ODI, Mohali

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KP Storm Nearing End

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Kevin Pietersen's return to the England team could be confirmed within the next 48 hours.

The batsman is expected to make a fresh apology, starting a process that could see him added to the India tour squad.

Pietersen, 32, will say sorry for sending "provocative" text messagesand commit himself to playing for England in all forms of cricket.

He has not played for England since being dropped for the final Test against South Africa in August.

BBC cricket correspondent Jonathan Agnew said: "It does appear that the first stage of Pietersen's reintroduction to the England camp will start sometime this week - and possibly as early as Tuesday.

"This will include an apology from the batsman for his conduct, and particularly for the text messages that were sent between him and the South African dressing room.

"We can also expect an assurance that England's commitments will come first - that is, after all, where all of this began and it remains the central issue.

"It will then be for the management and selectors to decide whether Pietersen will be a late addition to the team to tour India next month."

Pietersen had targeted a return to the national team for the tour of New Zealand in February.

But with England heading for a tricky tour to India in November, the batsman could be drafted in to boost an inexperienced batting line-up.

New Test and one-day captain Alastair Cook has been positive about Pietersen's return to the fold ever since taking over from Andrew Strauss.

But he leads a team to India that includes uncapped pair Joe Root, 21, and Nick Compton, who hit 1,191 runs for Somerset this season.

Discussions between Pietersen and the England and Wales Cricket Board have beenongoing since the second Test against Proteas at Headingley, when the Surrey man himself cast doubts on his future - a claim he later backtracked from.

Pietersen also apologised to former captain Strauss, who was allegedly criticised in the texts he sent to the South Africans - although he denied he offered any tactical advice.

England begin their four-Test winter tour of India on 15 November in Ahmedabad, with subsequent fixtures in Mumbai from 23 November and Kolkata from 5 December, before finishing in Nagpur for the final Test which starts on 13 December.

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Strauss Set to Quit

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Andrew Strauss' future as England Test captain has been thrown into doubt following the news that ECB managing director Hugh Morris will address the media at noon on Wednesday.

Strauss, 35, was expected to play for Middlesex in the County Championship on Tuesday following a short break after the Test series defeat to South Africa, which saw the Proteas replace England as the world No.1 side.

But his withdrawl from the match has been followed by the announcement of a hastily-convened press conference Lord's, with chief executive Giles Clarke then available for interview at Derbyshire from 2pm.

Both men may also shed some light on the future of Kevin Pietersen, who is in international exile after admitting sending "provocative" text messages to South Africa during the Test series.

The Pietersen saga has taken its toll on Strauss, who suffered with the bat against the Proteas and was equivocal when questioned about his plans.

Asked if he would still be in charge for the forthcoming tour of India, the opening batsman said: "It's probably hard to answer that after the week that's just gone by. It's been a tiring week.

"We all need to sit down - myself and Andy Flower in particular - and try and map out the way forward."

Morgan Feels England Not Missing KP

England batsman Eoin Morgan feels England are not missing Kevin Pietersen in one-day cricket.

As Pietersen's row with the England and Wales Cricket Board rumbles on - he was dropped from the Test squad earlier this month due to what team director Andy Flower described as issues of "trust and mutual respect" - England are now into a one-day series against South Africa.

With Pietersen having announced his retirement from one-day internationals earlier this season, a decision he has since reversed, England have already beaten the West Indies and Australia without him and Morgan says those coming into the team have stepped up to the plate.

"I think we've played fantastic cricket," said Morgan, a regular for some time in the ODI team, ahead of Tuesday's second match of the series in Southampton.

"The guys who have come in and replaced him have done particularly well. Whoever has stepped up has done really, really well.

"That's been important to the winning run we've had, particularly against a top side like Australia.

"We've built some great blocks towards where we want to be in our progress as a one-day side. I think we have a lot of match-winners."

Resolution

Morgan said he would like to see the ECB and Pietersen resolve their differences as soon as possible.

The Dubliner added: "I think Kevin is a world-class cricketer and any team around the world would want him in their side, but there are issues surrounding him at the moment and it will take time to resolve them.

"Personally I didn't find him difficult but I've not been around the Test team a lot.

"Obviously the quicker that happens the better."

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Pietersen Out of England T20 Squads

Kevin Pietersen has been left out of the England squads for both the World Twenty20 tournament and the preceding one-day series against South Africa.

The 32-year-old was dropped for the third Test against South Africa after allegedly insulting Test captain Andrew Strauss in texts to the tourists.

Pietersen apologised for the messages, admitting they were "provocative".

England team director Andy Flower said: "There's unresolved issues of trust and respect which have to be resolved."

Pietersen had been expected to meet Strauss this week to discuss the matter but speaking after his side's defeat by South Africa in the third Test on Monday, the England captain said that as far as he was concerned that would not be the case.

Strauss suggested the issues surrounding Pietersen "will take a while to be resolved", adding "we'll be looking to do that away from the public eye as much as possible in the coming weeks".

England coach Flower told BBC Sport: "When we have time we will begin resolving these issues one way or another. This is not just an issue between the player and the captain, there are bigger issues at heart.

"The text issues have to be investigated so that we know what situation we are dealing with. We are aware of some of the content but we have to understand the content to move on in a proper, healthy fashion."

Asked if a decision had been made on whether to offer Pietersen a new central contract, Flower added: "We have to deal with some of these other issues before a decision can be made on central contracts and who gets offered them."

England Twenty20 captain Stuart Broad has been left out of the one-day series against South Africa to rest ahead of the World Twenty20.

England play five one-day internationals against the Proteas - the first on 24 August in Cardiff - and three Twenty20s before they commence the defence of their World Twenty20 crown in Sri Lanka.

"Stuart Broad has an important period coming up leading our T20 side and with a three-match series followed closely by the ICC World T20 we feel a two-week break from cricket is in the best interests of both Stuart and the team," national selector Geoff Miller said.

Pietersen retired from both one-day and Twenty20 internationals in May, but made himself available for all formats in a surprise U-turn on 11 August.

Super Eight stage starts 27 September

Despite being man of the match in the second Test against South Africa the off-field controversy led to him being dropped for the third Test, and he was out for a golden duck to the left-arm spin of Hampshire's Liam Dawson while playing for Surrey on Sunday.

The big-hitting right-hander averages 41.84 in one-day internationals with a strike rate of 86.76, while in T20s he averages 37.93 with a strike rate of 141.51.

He was named player of the tournament as England won the last World Twenty20 in 2010, averaging 62 from his six innings.

Luke Wright and Michael Lumb, who were both part of the side that won the World Twenty20 in 2010, return to the T20 squad for the first time since June 2011.

Also in the 15-man T20 squad is Danny Briggs, who has a solitary ODI cap for England but has yet to represent his country in the shortest form of the game.

Ravi Bopara, who has not played for England since pulling out of the squad for the second Test against South Africa for personal reasons, is included in the ODI and T20 parties.

The Essex all-rounder will play for Gloucestershire in the one-day tour game against South Africa at Bristol on Wednesday.

England NatWest ODI Series squad: Alastair Cook (Essex) (captain), James Anderson (Lancashire), Jonny Bairstow (Yorkshire), Ian Bell (Warwickshire), Ravi Bopara (Essex), Tim Bresnan (Yorkshire), Jade Dernbach (Surrey), Steven Finn (Middlesex), Craig Kieswetter (Somerset), Eoin Morgan (Middlesex), Samit Patel (Nottinghamshire), Graeme Swann (Nottinghamshire), Jonathan Trott (Warwickshire), Chris Woakes (Warwickshire).

England squad for ICC World T20: Stuart Broad (Nottinghamshire) (captain), Jonny Bairstow (Yorkshire), Ravi Bopara (Essex), Tim Bresnan (Yorkshire), Danny Briggs (Hampshire), Jos Buttler (Somerset), Jade Dernbach (Surrey), Steven Finn (Middlesex), Alex Hales (Nottinghamshire), Craig Kieswetter (Somerset), Michael Lumb, Nottinghamshire), Eoin Morgan (Middlesex), Samit Patel (Nottinghamshire), Graeme Swann (Nottinghamshire), Luke Wright (Sussex).

England's T20 pool games

21 September: v Afghanistan (Colombo)

23 September: v India (Colombo)

Super Eight stage starts 27 September

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Pietersen Career Over After Texts - Greig

Former England captain Tony Greig says Kevin Pietersen's international career is over if allegations he texted tactical advice to South African players are proven to be true.

Pietersen is also alleged to have insulted his captain, Andrew Strauss, during the current Test series.

The row led to Pietersen being dropped for the third Test at Lord's.

"If what is being written is correct, he's absolute history, there's no way he'll ever play again," said Greig.

Pietersen's omission from the England squad for the final Test came afterhe hinted he could retire completely from international cricket.

However, the 32-year-old batsman subsequently committed to playing for England in all forms of the game.

And on Wednesday he issued a public apology after admitting sending "provocative texts to my close friends in the South Africa team", before dismissing the texts as "banter".

But the latest allegations, reported in the Sunday Times , have left Pietersen's England career hanging by a thread.

And more damaging than the allegations he texted personal abuse about his captain are the allegations Pietersen told the South Africa fast bowlers to go around the wicket to Strauss, a tactic with which Dale Steyn dismissed him in the second Test at Headingley.

"There's been a fair bit building up for a while and you can't be captain of a team and have this sort of thing happening on an ongoing basis," Greig, who was also born and raised in South Africa, told BBC Radio 5 live's Sportsweek.

"You can put the odd fire out but how many times can people say sorry? It has now gone beyond that, you can't put up with it.

"There have been plenty of situations where players thought they were good enough to misbehave and get away with it, and you can partially handle that with good leaders.

"My initial feeling when things started to dribble out was that you've got to try and play your best team, that it's not necessarily about characters.

"But this thing seems to be getting worse and worse by the day.

"He had character problems back in South Africa, he's not an easy bloke in any team environment, he's not turned out to be a great team man and it's now got even worse."

Former England and Wales Cricket Board chairman Lord MacLaurin said Pietersen's situation was all of his own making and the symptom of a deep character flaw.

"Sadly he's been so badly advised and people who are told they are the greatest thing ever to have happened usually end up in the gutter," said MacLaurin.

"He wasn't greatly loved at Nottinghamshire or Hampshire and he's certainly not loved in the England dressing room. That's not a great background."

Pietersen Issues Public Apology

Kevin Pietersen has issued a public apology after admitting sending "provocative texts to my close friends in the South Africa team".

He was dropped for the third Test against South Africa over the messages.

Pietersen said: "I truly didn't mean to cause upset or tension, particularly with important games at stake."

But England managing director Hugh Morris said further talks were needed to see if trust and mutual respect could be regained.

Pietersen said: "The texts were meant as banter between close friends. I need to rein myself in sometimes.

"I did send what you might call provocative texts to my close friends in the SA team.

"I apologise to [captain Andrew Strauss] Straussy and the team for the inappropriate remarks at the press conference and for the texts."

Pietersen's omission from the England squad for the final Test at Lord's came at the end of a turbulent week in which he first hinted he could retire completely from international cricket . Then on Saturday he committed to playing for England in all forms of the game.

However, the ECB wanted assurances by Sunday afternoon from the 32-year-old batsman that he had not sent derogatory texts about captain Andrew Strauss.

Pietersen did not do so by the deadline and was then dropped from the squad to face the Proteas at Lord's.

Morris said a "successful conclusion to the process was in everyone's best interests".

But he said: "Further discussions need to take place to establish whether it is possible to regain the trust and mutual respect required to ensure all parties are able to focus on playing cricket and to maintain the unity of purpose that has served us so well in recent years.

"Critically, those discussions should take place behind closed doors, rather than in the media spotlight.

"At the moment we have an important Investec Test match to focus on and therefore ECB will make no further comment until such time as is appropriate."

On Monday South Africa team manager Dr Mohammed Moosajee insisted: "Text messages were sent, but it was banter."

And on Tuesday England's Twenty20 captain Stuart Broad denied any involvement in a spoof Twitter account that allegedly riled Pietersen and apparently formed part of his dispute with the ECB.

A member of the public claimed on Monday to be the author of the account, which was closed earlier this month.

Jonny Bairstow has been brought in to replace Pietersen in the England squad for the final Test against South Africa, which the home side must win to retain their number one world ranking.

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.