'I know I still have 4 or 5 years left, I'd love to get 10,000 Test runs'

Kevin Pietersen

Discarded England batsman Kevin Pietersen has said that he still harbours hopes of making an England comeback, which will enable him to achieve the much-coveted landmark of 10,000 Test runs in addition to the opportunity to seek revenge against Australia in the Ashes.

Pietersen was dropped from the England team after their 5-0 debacle in Australia last winter, on the grounds of causing friction and creating a bad atmosphere in the dressing room.

The 34-year-old, who is currently in Melbourne for the Big Bash League (BBL) where he’ll be seen playing for Melbourne Stars, said: "I know I still have four or five years left. Whether I just want to play T20 though, is another thing."

"The next six months, with the changes happening in England, (it) could be interesting," Pietersen remarked.

"I have 8,300 (Test) runs - I'd love to get 10,000 Test runs," he said. "I'd love to beat Australia again ... last time, we got hammered. That doesn't sit well. I'm not a player who likes being hammered, I'm a player who plays to win."

The South African-born batsman was plagued by a knee injury for much of his last one or two years in international cricket, and Pietersen said that although the break was enforced and undesirable, it has allowed him the opportunity to recover fully from his chronic knee problems.

"I should have had a microfracture before the double Ashes last year," he said. "But I was flying around this country getting injected by every single doctor to try to get myself through.

"Having not played Test cricket since January, my body has felt a hell of a lot better. I'm feeling good - ready to go."