IPL: Kevin Pietersen pulls out of Indian Premier League auction

Pietersen would have had to go into the IPL auction after being released by Rising Pune Supergiants

Former England batsman Kevin Pietersen says he will not be entering this year's Indian Premier League auction.

Pietersen was released by Rising Pune Supergiants in December after injury restricted him to only four games for them in the Twenty20 series last year.

"My winter has been too busy with all my travel and I don't want to spend April/May away too," he tweeted.

This winter, the 36-year-old has played in South Africa's T20 Challenge and Australia's T20 Big Bash League.

He is also to play a second season with Quetta Gladiators in the Pakistan Super League in February and March.

This year's IPL auction will take place in Bangalore on Monday, 20 February.

Pietersen played in the IPL for Royal Challengers Bangalore in 2009 and 2010, and Delhi Daredevils in 2012 and 2014.

Mewnwhile, Pietersen has been fined 5,000 Australian dollars (£3,000) for his on-air comments criticising an umpiring decision while playing for the Melbourne Stars during a Big Bash League semi-final.

Pietersen was wearing a microphone when he criticised an umpire's decision to turn down a caught behind appeal against Perth Scorchers batsman Sam Whiteman on 24 January.

"That was a shocker, an absolute shocker," Pietersen was heard saying while fielding during the Scorchers' run chase.

After the match, Whiteman admitted he had hit the ball, while umpire Shawn Craig conceded he had made an error.

Pietersen has 48 hours to decide whether to appeal and have the issue heard by a Cricket Australia code of conduct commissioner.