CRICKET: Pietersen waits on T20 after text apology

LONDON: England batsman Kevin Pietersen (pic) will discover by tomorrow if his apology for sending "provocative texts" to South African players has come in time to salvage his hopes of playing in the World Twenty20.

Throughout months of escalating tension with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) hierarchy, Pietersen has always expressed the wish to help England defend the trophy they won in the Caribbean two years ago when he was named man of the tournament.

Saturday is the International Cricket Council deadline for teams to name their final squads for this year's edition, in Sri Lanka starting in September.

Pietersen's apology, issued Wednesday, came too late to save his place in the team for the third and final Test against his native South Africa at Lord's starting on Thursday.

Last weekend England dramatically dropped Pietersen from their squad for Lord's, even though he scored a brilliant 149 in the drawn second Test in Leeds.

Pietersen was axed for failing to reveal the contents of those text messages, some of which were said to contain criticisms of England captain Andrew Strauss. AFP

CRICKET: Pietersen waits on T20 after text apology

LONDON: England batsman Kevin Pietersen (pic) will discover by tomorrow if his apology for sending "provocative texts" to South African players has come in time to salvage his hopes of playing in the World Twenty20.

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