I lost my career: Kevin Pietersen blasts ECB over IPL ‘witch hunt’
By Nawaz Gohar ; Former England captain Kevin Pietersen has claimed that his international cricket career ended prematurely due to a conflict with authorities over his participation in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
Speaking during an interview, Pietersen alleged that the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) initiated a media-driven “witch hunt” against him during the early years of the IPL.
He explained that during the inaugural IPL season in 2008, the ECB did not permit centrally contracted players to participate. Consequently, Dimitri Mascarenhas was the only English player to feature in the tournament that year.
Later, in 2009, England allowed players to participate for a limited three-week window. Pietersen represented Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in 2009, but his decision to prioritize the league led to severe disagreements with the ECB.
The former cricketer stated: “I made huge sacrifices. I lost my career; that is why everyone in the system turned against me. My England career ended at the age of 33 after 104 Test matches, even though I should have played 150 to 160 Tests and scored 12,000 to 13,000 runs.”
Pietersen further alleged that the English cricket board used the British newspaper The Telegraph against him. However, he added that he did not wish to delve deeper into the matter and is now living a happy and peaceful life.
Kevin Pietersen scored 8,181 runs in his Test career, including 23 centuries and 35 half-centuries. He believes that while his stance affected his own career, it resulted in freedom for future generations of English players to play franchise cricket.
He mentioned that he recently interviewed Jos Buttler, who thanked him, stating that today’s players are reaped the benefits of Pietersen’s sacrifices.
In addition to RCB, Pietersen represented Delhi Daredevils and Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL. He was also appointed as a mentor for the Delhi Capitals for the 2025 season.
