This saga ’ s gone on longer than The Mousetrap . And let ’ s be honest — it ’ s not been handled brilliantly by the ECB . But you can hardly blame Kevin Pietersen for wanting to throw his lot in with Surrey and score some first-class runs . His interpretation of what Colin Graves said about playing in the domestic game has given him a lifeline . Now it ’ s up to Pietersen to use it . Kevin Pietersen has agreed to rejoin Surrey as he looks to make an unlikely England comeback . With Graves and Tom Harrison coming in as ECB chairman and chief executive respectively , it ’ s reasonable to work on the basis that everyone starts with a clean slate . They could well be leaning on Paul Downton , the managing director , with this basic point : the best players get picked . That ’ s how it works in other sports , so why not in cricket ? Pietersen will have a great chance to excel in Division Two at an excellent club . He ’ s also fit enough , even in his mid-30s . He leads a good lifestyle and he ’ ll be desperate to bang the door down . It ’ s all set up for him . The 35-year-old will focus on the longer form of the game in a bid to force his way into Ashes reckoning . Pietersen still wants to add to his 23 Test centuries despite being axed by England last year . People are worried about his book , but the main targets in those pages — Andy Flower and Matt Prior — are no longer in the England set-up . I thought the book was a sad read , to learn that he wasn ’ t enjoying what should have been among the best moments of his life . That ’ s a real shame . But if Pietersen scores so many runs for Surrey that Graves and Harrison think he ’ s irresistible , then everyone will just have to sit down and talk things through . Yes , it would become tricky for Downton and Peter Moores , who Pietersen didn ’ t rate highly in his first stint as England coach . But I ’ d put the key players in this drama in one room and tell them not to reappear until they ’ ve bashed out a compromise . Treat it like a jury : don ’ t emerge until you ’ ve got a majority decision . The batsman , pictured playing in Australia 's Big Bash , may change his Indian Premier League contract . Peter Moores did n't see eye to eye with Pietersen during his first spell as England head coach . Pietersen is the best batsman I ’ ve seen for England and if he can get his mojo back playing for Surrey then at least he ’ ll have fulfilled the criterion that Graves laid down . Test cricket is what gets Pietersen ’ s juices flowing . It ’ s unrealistic to imagine he could still be around for the 2019 World Cup . But he ’ s found himself a county and now he ’ s got to get some runs . It ’ s going to be a very interesting summer . England fell to an embarrassing early exit from the World Cup after a defeat by Bangladesh in Adelaide .
Kevin Pietersen decides to return to county cricket with Surrey . The year - old is hopeful of finding his way into Ashes cricket . He is fit enough even at 35 years old and would want to bang the door down . Pietersen did n't get on with Peter ##sen , but they decided to compromise .