Pietersen in Twitter row with Wilshere over 'England for English people' comments

England cricketer Kevin Pietersen took to Twitter to question Arsenal footballer Jack Wilshere's belief that the English national soccer side should only allow English-born players to represent it.

According to Sport24, Pietersen, born in South Africa to an English mother and South African father, has become a mainstay of the England cricket team and is just one match away from appearing in 100 Tests.

Wilshere had said that the only people who should play for England are English people and if someone lives in England for five years, it does not make him English.

Pietersen said to Wilshere that he would like to know how he defines a foreigner and whether that would include him, Andrew Strauss, Jonathan Trott, Matt Prior, Justin Rose, Chris Froome and Mo Farah.

England international Wilshere insisted he'd only been talking about his own sport, the report said.

However, that didn't placate Pietersen, who said that it was the same difference and it was about representing your country, in any sport.

Wilshere's initial remarks, made ahead of England's key 2014 World Cup qualifiers against Montenegro and Poland, came against the backdrop of the Football Association looking into the eligibility of rising Manchester United star Adnan Januzaj, the report added.

Belgium-born winger Januzaj can play for the country of his birth, Albania, Kosovo, Serbia and Turkey and the 18-year-old could one day represent England on residency grounds, the report further said.