Kevin Pietersen off to the Caribbean: Shunned batsman enters draft for Caribbean Premier League

The former England batsman has already agreed to captain Delhi Daredevils in the Indian Premier League

Kevin Pietersen can either wait for the IPL auction next month or play county cricket in England (Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)

Kevin Pietersen has entered the draft for the Caribbean Premier League as he continues to fill his diary following the bitter end to his England career.

Pietersen has become one of the most attractive 'guns for hire' in world cricket since the England and Wales Cricket Board controversially called time on his international days and has already agreed to captain Delhi Daredevils in the Indian Premier League as well as signing up with former county Surrey for the forthcoming season.

Exactly how much he will play for the Brown Caps is unclear, though it has been stressed he has not signed a Twenty20 only agreement and is available for all formats.

But the timing of the CPL - which is scheduled to take place in July and August - is likely to reduce the number of appearances he makes in a Surrey shirt, with NatWest T20 Blast matches slated throughout that period.

The 33-year-old, who is England's top international run-scorer, said: "I'm delighted to be involved in this year's Limacol Caribbean Premier League. As soon as I was approached, I knew it was something I wanted to take part in.

"I have fantastic memories of playing T20 cricket in the Caribbean - especially when we (England) won the 2010 ICC World T20 tournament - so I can't wait to play in front of the magnificent Caribbean fans who create a truly unique and thrilling atmosphere."

He also tweeted West Indies star Chris Gayle, posting: "Delighted to enter the Draft for CPL-T20 next week. Will we be rivals or teammates, henrygayle?"

The draft, which will see the six franchises fill their rosters from a pool of over 200 players, takes place in a bar owned by Gayle in Jamaica on Thursday.

Damien O'Donohoe, CEO of the tournament, said: "This is great news for the CPL and our fans. Kevin's inclusion in the draft is a real statement of intent about how we want to grow the competition year on year, and demonstrates just how far we have come in a short period of time.

"He's a born entertainer so the fans will love watching him play, and our younger players will get the opportunity to learn from his vast experience."

PA