Pietersen eyes ODI return

London: Kevin Pietersen has held talks with the England and Wales Cricket Board about a return to one-day cricket in an attempt to take part in England’s defence of their World Twenty20 title.

The batsman’s representatives are understood to have met the ECB this week as the selectors prepared to choose their 30-man long-list squad for the competition in Sri Lanka in September. The list has to be submitted to the International Cricket Council by next Wednesday.

When he announced his retirement from One Day International cricket just six weeks ago he made it clear he still wanted to play Twenty20 cricket for England but was prevented from doing so by the terms of his central contract, which state a player has to be available for all forms of one-day cricket.

The ECB declined to comment on the meeting on Thursday night but it is understood the board and Andy Flower will not back down from their hardline stance.

That means Pietersen, World T20 Player of the Tournament two years ago, will have to give ground or a compromise be found for him to play in Sri Lanka when England defend the trophy they won in the West Indies.

Time is running out for this tournament with the selectors meeting on friday to choose the 30-man squad which has to be trimmed to 15 by August 17.

Flower will want a guarantee from Pietersen that he will commit to England’s one-day plans for the foreseeable future, possibly until the World Cup in 2015. He will be wary of granting him a return for the World T20 only for him to retire again soon after.

In an interview this week Pietersen left open the possibility of returning to one-day cricket for England and this meeting suggests he is a lot closer to making that move than first thought.

Pietersen said: “Never say never. I’m a lot older and more mature than a few years ago, so you never know. Anything can happen. I’ll never say no, but the schedule would have to be a hell of a lot different for me to come back. Wait and see.

“I still hope there might be a compromise for the World T20 in Sri Lanka. The squad hasn’t been announced. I would love to play in that and defend our title with England. If it happens, great, but I’m not holding my breath.”

England could offer a schedule in one-day cricket that includes regular breaks for him, something that is becoming increasingly common, with James Anderson and Stuart Broad even rested for a Test this summer.

England’s eight straight wins against the West Indies and Australia in 50-over cricket since Pietersen’s retirement has strengthened Flower’s hand but the head coach will also be aware his side has to put up a creditable defence of the World T20 trophy in Sri Lanka, a country where they have struggled in one-day cricket.

Pietersen’s place was filled by Alex Hales in the one T20 game played since his retirement and the young Nottinghamshire opener made an excellent 99.

But Pietersen remains ranked the world’s best T20 player and his century in the IPL earlier this year for Delhi Daredevils underlined his ability to win matches.

Where England will not back down is rewording the central contracts. Flower made it clear after Pietersen’s retirement that protecting the status of 50-over cricket is vital to the ECB. He feared five or six others would follow him into retirement if they were allowed to give up the 50-over game but continue in the more exciting and financially rewarding T20 game.

Pietersen’s central contract is due for renewal in September and as a player available in only one form of the game he may receive reduced terms from the ECB while they retain control of his schedule, which would leave him requiring the board’s permission to play in T20 leagues around the world.

He has been a critic of the international schedule but will not give up his $2 million (Dh7.3 million) IPL deal with Delhi Daredevils.

But it is not 50-over cricket that eats into his time at the IPL, it is Test cricket. Next March and May England play series away and at home against New Zealand.