England star Kevin Pietersen retired from all forms of international limited overs cricket Thursday, a decision which took the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) by surprise. Pietersen, who will continue to be available for Test selection, said in a statement he wished to step aside in order to give the next generation of players a chance to bed in before the 2015 World Cup. “After a great deal of thought and deliberation, I am today announcing my retirement from international one-day cricket,” said Pietersen, who turns 32 next month. “With the intensity of the international schedule and the increasing demands on my body, approaching 32, I think it is the right time to step aside and let the next generation of players come through to gain experience for the ICC World Cup in 2015,” added Pietersen, who has scored 4,184 runs at an average of 42 in one-day internationals and averages 38 in international T20 cricket. Pietersen's decision comes less than four months before England is due to launch the defense of its Twenty20 World Cup crown in September. The South Africa-born batsman was man of the tournament when England won the title in the West Indies in 2010, and had indicated a willingness to remain part of the T20 squad in Sri Lanka this year. However ECB rules dictate that centrally-contracted players must make themselves available for all forms of limited-over cricket. “I am immensely proud of my achievements in the one-day game, and still wish to be considered for selection for England in Test cricket,” Pietersen said. ECB sets up anti-corruption team The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has set up a new anti-corruption team to monitor domestic one-day matches, the ECB said Thursday. The seven-strong team of anti-corruption officials, who will have investigative and regulatory experience, will attend televised and non-televised matches from mid-June to the end of August. They will perform a similar role to the International Cricket Council's Regional Security Managers who monitor international matches around the world. No contract for Ryder Troubled New Zealand batsman Jesse Ryder's international career is in doubt after cricket organizers said he would not receive a central contract for the coming season. New Zealand Cricket (NZC) said no contract for the 2012-13 season was offered to Ryder, who has been involved in a string of alcohol-fuelled incidents, after discussion with his management and the players' association.
