KP refuses to visit Pakistan

LAHORE: Former England captain Kevin Pietersen of Quetta Gladiators has refused to play Pakistan Super League (PSL) matches in Pakistan.

In a video message on Saturday, Pietersen has yet again said family considerations are behind his decision not to travel to Pakistan, and requested the fans to respect his decision.

In a statement, Kevin said, “Wish I could travel but unfortunately family’s decision is very important and I hope you can respect my family’s decision is not to travel.”

He said that his team have a chance of winning the league this year and that will keep on supporting ‘purple’.

“It’s with a very sorry heart that I have to leave Dubai and go back to London now. I wish I could travel [to Pakistan], but unfortunately [it’s my] family’s decision, and [my family] is important to me. I hope you can respect my decision and my family’s decision not to travel [to Pakistan],” he said.

The 37-year-old expressed his best wishes for Quetta Gladiators.

“We have an opportunity to win this [PSL], we really do. We are still in this competition. So please support the Purple Team. I will keep supporting the Purple Team. Third time lucky, remember!”

“The Purple Team will do it, hopefully. Inshallah!” he added. This PSL was also Pietersen’s last stint as a professional cricketer. One of the most explosive batsmen of his generation, Pietersen, popularly known as ‘KP’, bid farewell to his cricket career after appearing in his final game for Quetta Gladiators on Thursday night.

“BOOTS UP! Thank you!” the former England cricketer tweeted last night.

Pietersen leaves the sport as England’s second highest run-scorer across all formats of the game combined. In 104 Tests for England, he scored 8,181 runs at an average of 47.28 with 23 centuries and 35 fifties.

In 136 ODIs, he hit 4,440 runs with nine centuries and 25 half-centuries. He also appeared in 37 T20Is, scoring 1,176 runs with seven half-centuries.

T20 bowling feat for Afridi: Former captain and all-rounder Shahid Afridi became the first ever Pakistani to bag 300 T20 wickets.

Afridi, 38, reached the milestone during his team Karachi Kings’ PSL league match against Islamabad United.

His 300th scalp came after a quicker delivery that smashed into Chadwick Walton’s stumps, with the triumphant spinner celebrating the feat in his trademark style.

Afridi is only the 4th player in the world to have completed 300 wickets in the shortest format of the game, Private news channel reported.

He joined the likes of West Indian DJ Bravo, Sri Lanka’s Lasith Malinga and another spin magician from West Indies Sunil Narine in the club of 300 T20 wickets. Afridi, who has represented 20 different teams in T20 leagues around the world, completed 300 wickets in his 273rd match.

The next Pakistani to Afridi in the list of most T20 wickets is Sohail Tanvir, who has 289 wickets to his credit. With 97 wickets in T20 internationals, Shahid Afridi is also the world’s leading wicket-taker in the shortest format of international cricket.