LONDON: Star English cricketer Kevin Pietersen has announced his impendingretirement, saying his playing career will be over by the end of this year.

The 37-year-old, currently playing for the Melbourne Stars in the BBL, saidafter Saturday night’s derby loss to the Renegades that had made thedecision “recently”.

“I’m done and dusted, playing days,” he said.

“You get to that time in your career when you think ‘do I want this?’

“I want it desperately at the moment … but I don’t think I will want it in10 months’ time.

“I just don’t see myself wanting to play cricket in December.”

Pietersen said he would honour playing commitments with the Pakistan SuperLeague and in South Africa, but that would be it.

He is out of contract with the Stars at the end of this BBL season.

Pietersen is England’s fifth-highest Test run scorer, with 8181 in 104matches at an average of 47.28. He has the best average of the top five,now led by current opener Alastair Cook.

Pietersen is also England’s highest runscorer in all forms of the gamecombined. But he was also a controversial figure and was dumped fromEnglish international teams after the disastrous 2013-14 Ashes Tour.

He then became a T20 specialist and last August he confirmed his career inEngland was over.