Pietersen and Nottinghamshire - truce in sight?

The drawn-out saga of the dispute between Kevin Pietersen and Nottinghamshire looks to be nearing a conclusion with a report in The Times that a truce is on the cards.

Pietersen has said on several occasions that he would not honour the final year of his four-contract with Nottinghamshire, and the county have insisted throughout that they would hold him to the deal. Pietersen claimed unfair dismissal and sought a tribunal hearing. Pietersen's representatives will meet with David Collier, Nottinghmashire's chief executive, next week to try and resolve the matter.

But speaking to The Times, Pietersen's stance seemed to have mellowed. "If I have to stay at Trent Bridge, then I am just going to have to get on with it and be as professional and disciplined as possible," he said. "If the tribunal is delayed, then I will stay at Nottinghamshire and take it on the chin.I am not going to make a big issue of it, just knuckle down and try to win games for Nottinghamshire.

"I can see where they are coming from because a club with a player who has topped the averages for three years with another year to go would not want him to leave. From my point of view, I do not think it is right to have to play where you are unhappy and I stand by that."

The change of heart probably owes a lot to Pietersen's success with the England A side in India, and the realisation that if he wants to press for international selection - he becomes eligible to play for England at the end of the summer - then he needs to be playing regular first-class cricket.

Rod Marsh, the England A coach on the trip, told The Times that Pietersen had recognised that "you don't get everything the way you want it, but that is not to say you spit the dummy and go and sulk somewhere."