Boots up! - Ex-England skipper Kevin Pietersen calls time on cricket career

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London, March 17: Former England batsman Kevin Pietersen appears to have confirmed his illustrious cricket career is over. Pietersen said in February that the Pakistan Super League would be his final tournament. Although his Quetta Gladiators side advanced to the play-offs and face an eliminator against Peshawar Zalmi on Tuesday, the 37-year-old seems to have called time on his playing days.

"BOOTS UP! Thank you!" Pietersen – England's second-highest run scorer across all forms of the game – posted on Twitter.

He later added on Instagram: "Boots up! Feet up! Family, animals, golf…! H O M E!"

He further added on Twitter: "Just been told that I scored 30000+ runs which included 152 fifty's & 68 hundreds in my professional career.

"Time to move on!"

Michael Vaughan, who captained England when Pietersen's maiden century at The Oval helped clinch the 2005 Ashes series, congratulated his former team-mate on a stellar career.

"Well done @KP24 on an fantastic career … Not everyone's Cup of Tea but you will do for me," Vaughan posted on Twitter.

"Best batsman I had the pleasure to play with … 1st England batsman that put fear into the Aussies."

Former England bowler Simon Jones replied to Pietersen's tweet by posting: "Absolute pleasure Kelv. Most talented batter I ever saw, great guy, go well as I know you will."

Petersen tweeted recently: "I think I witnessed the funniest moment of my cricket career tonight, when the bowler couldn't get the attention of his boundary rider & threw the ball at him on the boundary...

"UNBELIEVABLY HILARIOUS!"

Pietersen scored 8,181 runs in 104 Tests and was named Player of the Series after leading England to the World Twenty20 title in 2010.

He has had his share of his controversies too. However, the ex-skipper was axed and omitted from consideration for all future England matches after a dispute with management following the 5-0 Ashes thumping in 2013-14.

Source: OPTA