Surrey fear they’ve seen the last of Kevin Pietersen but Jason Roy is set to turn back on IPL

Booked up: Pietersen is playing in the Big Bash in Australia
(Michael Dodge/Getty Images)
Tom Collomosse15 January 2016

Kevin Pietersen may have played his last competitive game in England after Surrey revealed they are planning to tackle the coming season without him.

In an ideal world, Surrey would want to hire Pietersen, who will be 36 this year, for a part of their NatWest T20 Blast campaign and have not totally given up hope of doing so. But Standard Sport understands that signing the former England batsman might eventually prove unworkable.

Pietersen is playing in the Big Bash in Australia and intends to take part in the Indian Premier League, which runs from April 9 to May 29. He may accept a contract in the Caribbean Premier League, likely to start in June.

The Blast starts on May 20 and runs through most of the first part of the summer, with Finals Day at Edgbaston on August 20. If Surrey are to commit to Pietersen — which would involve a substantial financial outlay — they need to know he will be available for a hefty chunk of the competition. At this stage, Pietersen can give no such guarantees.

Pietersen played for Surrey in the early weeks of the County Championship last summer, in what proved an unsuccessful attempt to win back his England Test place. He was famously told he would not be selected again just hours after scoring a triple-century for Surrey. He also played one Blast match.

Jason Roy is set to turn his back on this year’s IPL as he believes he can force his way into England’s Test team.

If Surrey agreed to let Roy enter the IPL auction, he would probably be an attractive option for franchises. He has played 101 T20 matches for Surrey and has a strike rate of more than 140.

But Roy is highly-regarded by the England management and is optimistic that, if he starts the season well, he will be in the Test frame.

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