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Hair brained? What Pietersen did next

"His wife is English and his son is English," says Kevin Pietersen's wife Jessica Taylor © Getty Images

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Kevin Pietersen has revealed he has no intention of leaving England - despite his international career effectively being ended by the ECB and claiming that he feels loved more in India "at the moment".

Speaking to The Times at the launch of his latest business venture with his wife, former Liberty X pop star Jessica Taylor, South African-born Pietersen describes this country as "home".

"I love it," he said. "I've been here almost 15 years, almost half my life, in four years' time. I've been here as much as I haven't.

"Someone said to me recently, 'Geography is history'. I love England so that's why I'm here. Absolutely it's home.

"But if you're in England you could also be anywhere else in the world so easily. Next week I'm in Europe, the following week I'm probably going to India."

When asked if there was a sadness surrounding his omission from the England setup, Pietersen added: "No, not at all. I'm absolutely fine.

"It's a case of certain doors close, but more open. I'm not a negative person. I know that I can look back and look at ways to improve, but I don't want to look back. Certain things you can help, certain things you can't."

Pietersen fetched £880,000 in the IPL auction on Wednesday and will play for the Delhi Daredevils in the coming season.

He said after the auction that he wanted a leadership role with the team and that he felt more loved in India "at them moment". However, he told The Times: "Where I'm at now, I'm good," adding that he expects to keep playing for three or four more years.

Pietersen and Taylor's latest business venture is a children's hair salon, Bella & Beau, in upmarket Notting Hill.

When reminded of the skunk haircut sported by Pietersen when he burst onto the England scene in 2005, including that famous Ashes win over Australia, he said: "I've had some bad haircuts.

"The skunk was just terrible. Unfortunately I had it when I played an innings in probably the most well talked-about series in Test-match history.

"Every single time they show the highlights package I have to relive that ridiculous hairstyle. It's so embarrassing. This weekend they were playing it over and over. I was just mortified.

"A team-mate of mine said: 'Why don't you get something stupid?' When the hairdresser said, 'Why don't we put a stripe in your hair?' I was like, 'Why not?' I was 24 with not a care in the world. It was poor."

"But, it was the time of my life, when we had so much fun. It was a great six months for the team. We did some wonderful things. It does bring back some brilliant memories, but when I look at it I cringe."

Pietersen describes his skunk haircut from the 2005 Ashes series as "just terrible" © PA Photos

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