KP avoided surgery fearing Ashes miss
England batsman Kevin Pietersen said he decided against surgery on his right knee that could have kept him sidelined for nine months so he could play in back-to-back Ashes series this year.
Pietersen injured his knee during the tour of New Zealand in March and only returned to action in June, just in time for the Ashes against Australia.
Pietersen said, “I didn’t have surgery because I didn’t want to miss the Ashes. I could have done but it’s proved to be the right decision from the surgeon’s perspective and mine.”
Pietersen said he was facing rehab work on his knee problem for the rest of his career after becoming England’s leading run scorer across all international formats on Saturday.
The 33-year-old South Africa-born batsman made 113 as England ended the third day of the third Ashes Test at Old Trafford on 294/7, only 34 runs shy of avoiding the follow-on but still 233 runs adrift of Australia’s first innings 527/7 declared.
But this has been a largely frustrating year for Pietersen, sidelined for several months after returning home early from England’s tour of New Zealand in March with a knee injury.
Then a calf problem he suffered during England’s mammoth 347-run second Test win over Australia at Lord’s last month left Pietersen doubtful for this match.
Pietersen said he’d contemplated an operation but that it would have meant yet more time out of action.
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