Kevin Pietersen is too good not to be playing international cricket for England.

It’s a sad situation when players of the quality of Pietersen are no longer in contention. I’ve heard that he is a difficult character to work with, but surely the best coaches and managers are there to get the best out of this sort of player?

It’s ludicrous that he’s still not playing international cricket. From what I’ve seen in recent years, he still has the ability to make a contribution to that England side, and after all he’s achieved, he certainly has a wealth of knowledge that can be passed down to the younger players. He needs to be reinstated sooner rather than later.

England cricket is not in good shape. The national side could use a player of Pietersen’s quality and experience. Indeed, he is the type of player that any team would covet, especially in the limited overs formats. He’s in that elite class of batsmen who can win 20-over and 50-over contests single-handedly.

His game-changing ability in the five-day format is well documented. Many South Africans will remember what Pietersen did to the Proteas at Headingley in 2012. The second Test of the series was drawn thanks to Pietersen’s thrilling knock of 149. He dominated the South African attack, and even took apart Dale Steyn, the best bowler in Test cricket. It was a powerful reminder of his talent.

Pietersen is devastating in the shorter formats of the game, but he also can change the momentum of a Test with a century scored during a single session. He’s aggressive as well as gifted, and those are attributes I’ve always believed set the quality batsmen apart from the rest.

Strong-minded players are sometimes difficult to manage, but it is here that coaches earn their salaries. I don’t quite understand how England can afford to be without a player of Pietersen’s calibre. He is too good not to be playing.

Unfortunately, there seems to be a trend in English cricket where many top players are ushered into early retirement. Many in that establishment are sticklers for the right sort of behaviour and the right sort of player. Personally, I don’t think this should ever be a factor.

There’s no doubt in my mind that Pietersen could still make a strong contribution to English cricket over the next three or four years. He still has the ability to win matches, and that is the quality that should count.

Graeme Pollock played 23 Tests for South Africa, scoring 2 256 runs at an average (60.97) that remains second only to Don Bradman’s. He was voted South Africa’s Player of the 20th century in 1999, and inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame in 2009.

Due to a series of health problems that have impacted on his financial position, Pollock is now reaching out to fans in hope of some support. If you are able to contribute to his Trust in any way, please do not hesitate to call his agent Basil O’Hagan on 083 4124459 or make a deposit, however small, to the following Trust Fund.

Name of Account Holder: Rudolf Buys & Associates Trust
Name of Bank: Standard Bank
Account Number: 281 464 359
Branch: Fourways Crossing
Branch Code: 009 953
Type of Account: Trust Account
Ref: Mr G Pollock