IPL sacrifices made me lose my England career: Pietersen opens up on ECB fallout
Kevin Pietersen said his dispute with the England and Wales Cricket Board over playing in the Indian Premier League led to the premature end of his international career, calling it a personal sacrifice that later benefited other players. He added that his stance helped pave the way for England cricketers to participate more freely in franchise T20 leagues.
Former England captain Kevin Pietersen revealed that his long-standing dispute with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) over his participation in the Indian Premier League (IPL) played a decisive role in cutting short his international career.
Speaking on a podcast with Ranveer Allahbadia, Pietersen said the stance he took, prioritising franchise cricket at a time when it was frowned upon, came at a personal cost but ultimately helped pave the way for future players to balance international commitments with lucrative T20 leagues.
“I made big sacrifices, I lost my career because of it,” said Pietersen when asked if he was responsible for allowing English players to play in the IPL. “100%, it's the only reason why everybody in that establishment went against me.”
WHAT WAS THE PIETERSEN-ECB FALLOUT?
In 2009, during the second season of the IPL, England allowed its contracted players to participate in franchise cricket for a limited three-week window. The ECB had earlier barred its centrally contracted players from participating in the tournament during the inaugural season.
The South Africa-born England batter, in 2009, joined Royal Challengers Bengaluru, prioritising the league over his national duties. He was already reeling from a fallout with then coach Peter Moores, which eventually extended to the ECB. From here, the complications grew further for Pietersen and his England career.
“I was 33 when my England career finished, after 104 Test matches. I should have played 150–160 Tests and scored 12,000–13,000 runs. That's what I should have achieved,” he said. Pietersen finished his Test career with 8,181 runs at an average of 47.3, including 35 half-centuries and 23 centuries.
The struggle with the board for one of England’s most prolific modern-day batters became a highly publicised flashpoint in cricket. “The ECB used The Telegraph to go after me... I don't want to go too deep into it. It was well publicised, and I live a very happy, peaceful life now,” he continued.
Pietersen went on to play for Delhi Daredevils and Rising Pune Supergiant in the IPL. He was also recently appointed mentor of Delhi Capitals for the 2025 season.
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Former England captain Kevin Pietersen revealed that his long-standing dispute with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) over his participation in the Indian Premier League (IPL) played a decisive role in cutting short his international career.
Speaking on a podcast with Ranveer Allahbadia, Pietersen said the stance he took, prioritising franchise cricket at a time when it was frowned upon, came at a personal cost but ultimately helped pave the way for future players to balance international commitments with lucrative T20 leagues.
“I made big sacrifices, I lost my career because of it,” said Pietersen when asked if he was responsible for allowing English players to play in the IPL. “100%, it's the only reason why everybody in that establishment went against me.”
WHAT WAS THE PIETERSEN-ECB FALLOUT?
In 2009, during the second season of the IPL, England allowed its contracted players to participate in franchise cricket for a limited three-week window. The ECB had earlier barred its centrally contracted players from participating in the tournament during the inaugural season.
The South Africa-born England batter, in 2009, joined Royal Challengers Bengaluru, prioritising the league over his national duties. He was already reeling from a fallout with then coach Peter Moores, which eventually extended to the ECB. From here, the complications grew further for Pietersen and his England career.
“I was 33 when my England career finished, after 104 Test matches. I should have played 150–160 Tests and scored 12,000–13,000 runs. That's what I should have achieved,” he said. Pietersen finished his Test career with 8,181 runs at an average of 47.3, including 35 half-centuries and 23 centuries.
The struggle with the board for one of England’s most prolific modern-day batters became a highly publicised flashpoint in cricket. “The ECB used The Telegraph to go after me... I don't want to go too deep into it. It was well publicised, and I live a very happy, peaceful life now,” he continued.
Pietersen went on to play for Delhi Daredevils and Rising Pune Supergiant in the IPL. He was also recently appointed mentor of Delhi Capitals for the 2025 season.
IPL 2026 | IPL Schedule | IPL Points Table | IPL Player Stats | Purple Cap | Orange Cap | IPL Videos | Cricket News | Live Score
