Kevin Pietersen was born in 1980 in Pietermaritzburg, located in the Natal Province of South Africa. His father was Afrikaner, and his mother was English. Pietersen began his cricketing journey in Natal in 1997. Disillusioned with South Africa's racial quota system in cricket at the time, he moved to England in 2000. Owing to his English heritage, he qualified to play for English county cricket after a mandatory four-year residence period. He spent this time with Nottinghamshire, after which he was selected to represent the England national team.
Kevin Pietersen made his debut for England in a One Day International (ODI) against Zimbabwe in 2004. His Test debut followed in 2005 during the Ashes series against Australia. Known for his aggressive style and flair, Pietersen quickly became one of England’s most dynamic batsmen.
In 2008, Pietersen was appointed captain of both England’s Test and ODI teams. However, his tenure as captain was short-lived. He resigned after overseeing just three Test matches and nine ODIs due to a conflict with then-coach Peter Moores—a dispute that led to Moores’ dismissal the same day. Unfortunately, Pietersen's relationship with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) never fully recovered. His last appearance for England came during the 2013–2014 Ashes series. Following internal issues with teammates and administration, he was informed that he would no longer be considered for international selection.
Pietersen is recognized as one of England’s finest modern batsmen. He was the fastest player to reach 1,000 and 2,000 runs in One Day Internationals at the time. In Test cricket, he reached milestones of 4,000, 5,000, and 7,000 runs in record time when measured by days played. He also became the third English player to top the ICC ODI rankings, achieving this feat in 2007.
His remarkable performance against South Africa in 2008, where he scored a century, earned him high praise. The Times described him as the "most complete batsman in cricket," while The Guardian in 2012 referred to him as "England’s greatest contemporary batsman."
| Birth Date: | 27 Jun, 1980 |
| Age: | 39 yrs |
| Occupations: | Cricketer |
| Citizenship: | South Africa |
| Birth Place: | Pietermaritzburg |
| Education: | University of South Africa |
| Gender: | Male |
| Description: | English cricketer |
| Net Worth 2021: | 7.5 million |
