Notts fighting to keep Pietersen

Nottinghamshire have a fight on their hands to keep Kevin Pietersen at the club. Pietersen, who has scored over 2,000 runs this season, is reported to have asked to leave at the end of the season even though he still has a year left on his contract.

Mick Newell, Notts' cricket manager told the BBC Sport website: "I am not going to make any comment on whether Kevin has formally asked to leave. He has got a year left on his contract and we expect him to fulfil it."

Pietersen was born in South Africa but will qualify to play for England next year and he has been called up to the national academy in Loughborough. He arrived at Trent Bridge in 2001 as a home-qualified player - by virtue of an English mother and a British passport - and made an immediate impression with a string of big scores.

But after Notts' miserable season in which they were relegated to Division Two of the County Championship, Pietersen could be tempted by offers from other counties, with Surrey one of the clubs reported to be interested.