London--Kevin Pietersen was told by new England chief Andrew Strauss he will not play for his country again just hours after blasting a career-best 326 not out, according to reports on Monday.
Exiled batsman Pietersen surpassed his previous first-class best of 254 in a mammoth innings for Surrey on day two of their County Championship Division Two match against Leicestershire at The Oval.
The 34-year-old's new record total came in just 373 balls as he smashed 34 fours and 14 sixes to all corners of the south London venue in Surrey's first innings total of 528 for nine.
South Africa-born Pietersen, who has hoped for an England recall since being axed in the aftermath of their 2013-14 Ashes defeat in Australia, revealed immediately after the day's play that he was due to meet Strauss, the ECB's director of cricket, and chief executive Tom Harrison to discuss his international prospects.
But, according to BBC reports later on Monday, Strauss, who was hired over the weekend, used the meeting to confirm to Pietersen that he would not be allowed back into the fold.
"We understand that Kevin Pietersen has been told this evening that he won't be picked to play for England again," a tweet from the BBC's Test Match Special account read.
The BBC's cricket correspondent Jonathan Agnew added: "I gather Strauss has confirmed to KP this evening that he will not be selected for England again."
Television personality Piers Morgan, a close friend of Pietersen's, had earlier suggested the talks would go badly for the batsman.
AFP
