Pietersen refuses to succumb to Indian millions – for now

Kevin Pietersen has turned down an approach to play in the multi-million dollar Indian Premier League. Many of the games leading players have been lured to India's Twenty20 competition but Pietersen, England's star batsman, said that no amount of money would stop him playing cricket for England just yet.

"There's no way I would turn my back on England," he said. "I know there has been interest and, yes, there have been offers, etc etc, but its not something I am particularly interested in. Money's not really too important, it's not as if I need money right now. I'm really enjoying what I am doing.

"I love playing for England, I love plying for the spectators. England has given me a fantastic opportunity to a fantastic life at the moment. So I'm fully committed 100 per cent to playing for England, to winning games for England, to scoring thousands more runs for England. There will be nothing that will lure me away from England just yet."

An England player has yet to sign up to the tournament but it is the words "just yet" that should make the England and Wales Cricket Board fret.

Pietersen is unlikely to be the only England player that has received such an offer and the ECB need to be wary. It will not be long before one of their players seriously considers playing in an event that competes directly with the games it is in the ECB's interest to promote.