“Why would I do that? It’s a ridiculous story”

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Former England batsman has denied rumours that he threatened to return home if the national team found themselves 3-0 down in the last Ashes series against Australia.

Pietersen’s denial comes after a leaked England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) dossier claims that Pietersen threatened to quit due to his chronic knee problem.

“No, no. Why would I do that? It’s a ridiculous story,” Pietersen told ESPNcricinfo. “The only issue was with my knee. I almost didn’t play in that Test. My knee was really hurting. I was batting the day before the Test and I walked out of the nets and told Andy (Flower) that I was really struggling. I called the physio over. But that’s not the same as trying to quit a tour, is it?

“I had the option of micro-fracture surgery before the Ashes in England but I said ‘No, I want to play these 10 Tests’.”

Pietersen also denied that he criticised batsman James Taylor in the dressing room during the second Test against South Africa at Headingley in August 2012.

“There’s this lie out there that I rubbished him in front of the team,” Pietersen said. ” It’s not true. I spoke to Andy Flower about him. It was a private conversation.

“It was a senior player talking to the coach in private. I expressed my views when asked. To have private conversations turned into a media story on Monday morning that I was ridiculing James Taylor in the dressing room is ridiculous.”

The South African-born batsman added that more players need to step up and back his claims about bullying being rife in the England team.

“I needed to bring up that issue,” he said. “It wasn’t a nice environment. Guys were picked on big time. Some other players will come out eventually and say the same thing.”