Pietersen says 'nonsense' in the past as he wishes Strauss well
Strauss had a chequered relationship with Pietersen after taking over the England captaincy from him
SHARJAH (AFP) - Kevin Pietersen said he now gets on "really well" with Andrew Strauss as he wished the wife of his fellow former England captain a full recovery from cancer.
Strauss had a chequered relationship with star batsman Pietersen after taking over the England captaincy from him and as an administrator effectively ended Pietersen s international career in 2015.
But Pietersen insisted all the "nonsense" between the two was a thing of the past after making a man-of-the-match 48 for the Quetta Gladiators as they beat Islamabad United in a Pakistan Super League match in Sharjah on Wednesday.
"I actually get on really well with Straussy and I ve had some real good conversations with Straussy because he s going through some real personal hardships at the moment," Pietersen told reporters.
"And I m being serious when I say that cricket is insignificant when Andrew Strauss is feeling what he s feeling, with his wife and cancer, so you put all the nonsense to one side."
It was announced in December that Strauss s wife, Ruth, had been diagnosed with cancer.
"I ve actually spoken to him quite a few times in the last couple of months," said Pietersen.
"Cricket, and all the stuff that happened is gone, it s insignificant because families are a lot more important," said the 37 year-old Pietersen, who is winding down his illustrious career playing in the world s Twenty20 leagues.
"I m good with Straussy. I just wish Ruth all the best and hopefully Ruth can pull through. She s a fighter."
Strauss, who succeeded Pietersen as England captain, saw his relationship with the talented run-getter nosedive in 2012.
South Africa-born Pietersen sent text messages reported to be critical of Strauss, then the England skipper and who was also born in South Africa, to Proteas players in the middle of a Test series.
Pietersen was then dropped from the Test side, with Strauss retiring from all cricket soon afterwards.
In his new role as the England and Wales Cricket Board s director of England cricket, a position he still holds, Strauss effectively ended Pietersen s international career three years later when he told him he was not part of his selection plans due to a complete breakdown of trust.
That announcement came shortly after Pietersen had made a career-best 335 not out for county side Surrey.
Pietersen was on course to become England s all-time leading record Test run-scorer, a record now held by Alastair Cook, before he was sent into the international wilderness in 2014 following the team s 5-0 Ashes thrashing in Australia.
It left Pietersen having scored 8,181 Test runs, including 23 hundreds, in 104 matches at an impressive average of 47.28.
