Kevin Pietersen: I may play for England again, declares outcast batsman

Pietersen hopes he can return and reach 10,000 runs for England

Kevin Pietersen has said in India that he regrets ‘textgate’ but does not rule out an England return (PA)

Kevin Pietersen has expressed his regret over the "textgate" fiasco which damaged his relationship with the former England captain Andrew Strauss and – in defiance of the selectorial door that was slammed in his face by the England and Wales Cricket Board – he has also hinted he hopes to return and reach 10,000 Test runs.

The 33-year-old batsman, who was sacked in the wake of the Ashes whitewash last winter as England sought to restructure, is in Delhi to play in the Indian Premier League. It is one of several lucrative Twenty20 contracts he has signed around the world after the ECB's abrupt decision.

The board has yet to state why it took the step effectively to end Pietersen's international career but he appears to believe there is a way back. He told the Indian Express: "Yes, maybe I'll still get to 10,000 [Test runs]".

He also sought to explain the circumstances which led to him being banned from the side for one Test at the end of the 2012 summer after sending derogatory text messages to the South African opposition about then captain Strauss.

"Andrew Strauss is a great friend," he said. "I was just in a bad space. We were not having a great relationship at that time. It should never have come out, all that nonsense. That wasn't a special time at all." Pietersen was "reintegrated" into the side but his relationship with the rest of the players, and with the coach Andy Flower, deteriorated again.

In Australia, when Jonathan Trott returned home after the first Test in Brisbane. Pietersen told The Times of India he had been the first to spot signs of illness and added: "Contrary to popular belief, I have very good relationships with most of the guys in the English dressing room. I like to look after them. If someone is struggling, I like to go up and put an arm around him."