Pietersen given full England contract

Kevin Pietersen rubber-stamped his return to the England set-up on Wednesday by signing a full central contract with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB). Pietersen was frozen out of the international picture in August last year when he was dropped for the final Test against South Africa over claims he sent text messages to rival players criticising then-England captain Andrew Strauss. The South Africa-born batsman subsequently returned to the squad towards the end of 2012, but was only tied to a short-term contract that was due to expire at the end of the month. However, limited-overs coach Ashley Giles confirmed on Wednesday that the 32-year-old has now signed a full central contract with the ECB that puts him on a par with the rest of his England team-mates. The current set of central contracts is due to expire at the end of September. From AFP