ECB forced to apologise to Kevin Pietersen after Paul Downton's comments

Kevin Pietersen

The England cricket board has apologised to sidelined batsman Kevin Pietersen after their recent remarks that he was “disinterested” and "distracted" in the fifth test of the Ashes series earlier this year.

Pietersen, who is the highest run-getter for England over all formats of the game, was told that he would not be considered for national selection again. The 33-year-old recently turned out for Delhi Daredevils in the Indian Premier League. Although he did not do too well in the IPL, he showed glimpses of his ability from time to time.

The ECB statement said: “Paul Downton and the ECB both apologize to Kevin Pietersen for those comments made that were in breach of the settlement agreement.”

Many England fans have been calling for Pietersen to be reinstated in the national team, especially after their team collapsed to 99 all out against Sri Lanka in the 2^nd ODI in the ongoing bilateral ODI series.