Star England batsman Kevin Pietersen has revealed that he almost missed both the Ashes series this year as he had considered having knee surgery that would have sidelined him for nine months.
According to the Sydney Morning Herald, Pietersen was a thorn in Australia's side for much of day three of the third Test on Saturday, having scored a 113, his fourth against Australia, while overcoming a pre-match calf strain to take his place at Old Trafford.
The report further said that the innings may prove to be of vital importance should the hosts manage to prevent Australia, who lead by 233 runs, from completing a win and keeping this five-match series live.
However, the report said that Pietersen could have missed his chance of wiping out Australia in all the ten Ashes contests in England and the current tourists' homeland due to a knee injury that forced him to return home from England's series in New Zealand in March midway through their tour.
The report further said that Pietersen was told that he faced a lengthy spell out of the game if he had to undergo surgery, although a non-invasive mode of rehabilitation was decided upon by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) medical team.
Stating that the decision was a major one for him, Pietersen admitted that he would have been out for nine months and would have missed the iconic series, although he added that he believed that he would be in rehabilitation for the rest of his career.
According to Pietersen, he still experienced pain sometimes in his knee, which also ruled him out of the Indian Premier League and the ICC Champions Trophy in June, although he insisted that he would not need an operation on the injury before the return series in Australia starting in November if he kept being professional, as he had been doing.
Pietersen also joked that he is just an old man with sore calves and hamstrings, adding that nothing is wrong with him.
