Cricket: Injured Pietersen to return home

KARACHI - England batsman Kevin Pietersen is returning home after failing to recover from a rib injury.

"Scans taken after the first one-day match showed no fracture but demonstrated a stress lesion and despite passing a fitness test ahead of the second one-day match Kevin suffered intolerable pain throughout," England doctor Peter Gregory said in a statement.

Gregory said an injury such as Pietersen's normally required four to six weeks rest.

"It is expected that Kevin will make a full recovery in time for the tour to India in March next year," he said.

Pietersen said he was disappointed to be leaving the tour with the one-day series level at 1-1.

"I was looking forward to a strong one-day series," he said. "I hate missing matches and despite trying to play the first couple of one-day games the pain was just too great.

"I certainly wouldn't want to let my team mates down due to injury whether it is with the bat or in the field so the only choice available to me is to rest the injury with a view to a full recovery in time for India."

Stand-in captain Marcus Trescothick said Pietersen had struggled during the second one-dayer on Monday.

"His injury affected his batting and as the game went on today he was clearly hampered with it. It is not the ideal situation for us," Trescothick said.

England lost their captain Michael Vaughan with a knee injury and left-arm spinner Ashley Giles with a hip problem before the one-day series started.

- REUTERS