2) After making his first-class debut in 1997 when he was 19 for KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa he moved to England in 2000 to join Nottinghamshire, citing racial quota system in South Africa as a big hindrance to his progress as a cricketer.
3) After qualifying to represent England by playing county cricket for four seasons since moving to the country, Kevin Pietersen was picked for the tour of Zimbabwe, where he scored his first One Day International 50 for England.
4) Earning himself a spot in the England squad for the tour of South Africa, courtesy Andrew Flintoff’s withdrawal, playing for his adopted country, he tormented his motherland with three-stroke filled centuries and a fifty in a 7-match ODI series averaging a massive 151.33.
5) Kevin Pietersen reveals that his trademark shot (switch hit) was due to his school days playing hockey – and playing courtyard cricket with his brothers, when they would switch between left and right handed shots.
6) Miffed by the racial quota in the South African domestic circuit, Kevin Pietersen decided to move to England to pursue a career in English cricket. He started by playing for Cannock CC and later joined Nottinghamshire for a 3-year deal and was well supported by the then coach of the team, Clive Rice.
7) Kevin Pietersen made his Test debut during the 2005 Ashes series at Lord’s and was picked ahead of Graham Thorpe. He came into bat at 18/3 and made 57 on debut in his first innings. In the 2nd innings, he finished making another half-century – 64*, thus becoming only the 4th player to top-score in both innings on debut for England, the 8th England player to score a half-century in each inning on debut, and the 3rd cricketer to do so at Lord’s.
8) Kevin Pietersenalso participated in one of the pioneer domestic tournaments of Indian circuit, the Duleep Trophy in 2003-04. He was a part of the England A team that participated in that season as a guest team. Playing against South Zone, he scored a century in each inning (104 and 115) though in a losing cause as South Zone miraculously chased down 501 to win riding on Venugopal Rao’s 228* in the 2nd innings.
9) It was Clive Rice, South Africa’s legendary all-rounder, who helped him by signing the precociously talented batsman for Nottinghamshire in 2000.
10) Kevin Pietersen equalled Viv Richards’ record for the fastest to 1,000 runs in One-Day Internationals (ODIs). He did it in just 21 innings. He also was then the joint fastest with Zaheer Abbas to 2,000 ODI runs. His record has since been broken by Hashim Amla.
11) Kevin Pietersen became the first England player to win a player-of-the-tournament award in an ICC tournament guiding England to their first ever ICC trophy. It was in the ICC World T20 2010.
12) In England’s tour of India 2008, Kevin Pietersen, after being dismissed by Yuvraj Singh in the second Test at Mohali, called the left-arm spinner as “pie-chucker”. Yuvraj Singh responded by pointing out that he has fallen for a part-timer five times.
13) Kevin Pietersen also held the record for the fastest century by an Englishman. It came at East London, South Africa, when Pietersen’s deadly innings floored the South African bowlers. Pietersen made 100 off 69 balls. His record was broken by Jos Buttler, who scored a 61 ball-ton against Sri Lanka in 2014 at Lord’s.
14) When Kevin Pietersen scored 158 at Lord’s against Sri Lanka in the first Test of the summer in 2006 and followed it up with 142 in the next Test at Edgbaston, and the inclusion of his 158 against Australia to close of the 2005 summer made him the 1st England player since Graham Gooch to make hundreds in three consecutive innings. He subsequently entered the top ten in the world rankings.
15) During South Africa’s tour of England in 2012, which the visitors won 2-0, Kevin Pietersen was controversially dropped from the team for the final Test after it was found that he had texted AB de Villiers and Dale Steyn degrading his captain Andrew Strauss and team director Andy Flower.
16) Kevin Pietersen became a folk hero when he notched up a scintillating 158 at the Oval in 2005-06. During that innings, he also broke Ian Botham’s record for most sixes in a Test innings by an Englishman in Ashes history (7).
17) Kevin Pietersen amassed 533 runs during India’s tour to England in 2011, an effort unmatched by his own personal standards. Kevin Pietersen kick-started the tournament with an unbeaten 202 at Lord’s and finished the tournament with 175 at the Oval.
18) No doubt this man has abundant of talent, but you would be amazed to know that he is a nervy guy. Pietersen admitted that he is a nervous wreck when waiting to bat– he claimed he sometimes went to the toilet every five minutes while preparing to go in.
19) It was the 2nd Test of the England’s tour to Pakistan in 2005-06 when KP clobbered a 95 Mph delivery by Shoaib Akhtar for a six off the front foot. Now that is some class! Pietersen ended up scoring 100 in the 1st innings of the drawn game at Faisalabad.
20) The major team’s that Kevin Pietersen has featured in are England, Deccan Chargers, Delhi Daredevils, Dolphins, Hampshire, ICC World XI, KwaZulu-Natal, Melbourne Stars, Stars, Natal, Nottinghamshire, Quetta Gladiators, Rising Pune Supergiants, Royal Challengers Bangalore, St Lucia Zouks, Sunrisers Hyderabad, Surrey.
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