Strauss says 'trust issue' behind KP's England exile

England new director of cricket Andrew Strauss on Tuesday confirmed that out-of-favour batsman Kevin Pietersen will not be considered until after the summer's home Ashes series against Australia, citing a 'massive trust issue' between the two as a reason behind the decision.

Earlier on Monday, Pietersen hopes of earning an England recall suffered a heavy blow, despite hitting a triple ton for Surrey in County cricket, when Strauss told the maverick batsman that he would never play for his adopted country again.

However, Strauss said that they decided it was in the best short-term interests for Pietersen not to be part of the team, but insisted that nobody knows what would happen in the future, the BBC reported.

Strauss, the former England captain, also said that the trust between him and the ECB has eroded over the years, adding that he couldn't give any guarantees as there is a massive 'trust issue' between him and Pietersen.

Pietersen, a veteran of 104 Test and 136 one-day caps for England, has been out of the national squad since his central contract was cancelled by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) following the team's Ashes washout by Australia in 2014.

The maverick batsman turned down a lucrative Indian Premier League contract with the Sunrisers Hyderabad team to concentrate on his county campaign with Surrey, in a bid to earn an England comeback.

Earlier, incoming ECB chairman Colin Graves had stated that Pietersen could earn a recall to the national side again if he made enough runs in county cricket.