Former England captain Kevin Pietersen has reignited his long-standing feud with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), alleging that his international career was intentionally dismantled due to his advocacy for the Indian Premier League (IPL).

In a candid discussion with YouTuber Ranveer Allahbadia, the batting maverick claimed the ECB orchestrated a "witch-hunt" through the media to penalise him for prioritising the T20 circuit during its infancy. While the ECB initially barred centrally contracted players from the 2008 inaugural season, Pietersen’s eventual move to Royal Challengers Bangalore in 2009 created an irreparable rift with the board.

"I made big sacrifices. I lost my career. Everybody in that establishment went against me," he said.

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Pietersen, who saw his England tenure abruptly terminated at the age of 33 following the 2013–14 Ashes whitewash by Australia, believes he was robbed of his peak years. Despite finishing with 8,181 Test runs and 23 centuries over 104 matches, he maintains he should have achieved upwards of 150 caps and 13,000 runs had he not been cast aside.

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However, the former Delhi Capitals mentor views his fallout as a turning point for the modern game. He noted that current stars, including Jos Buttler, have thanked him for his early defiance, which paved the way for the current generation to balance international duties with lucrative franchise contracts. While Pietersen remains critical of the "establishment" of the time, he insists he has found peace with his legacy as ‘a pioneer for player freedom.’ (With inputs from Agencies)