Pietersen won't go on long tour without wife

Kevin Pietersen has said that he will not go on another long England tour without his wife, singer Jessica Taylor.

"I've never said I want to miss a tour and there's no way I will ever miss a tour," he told the BBC. "I love touring, but there's no way I'll be without my wife for 11 weeks again."

Pietersen admitted that the winter has not gone well, either for him or the team. "The first half was a shambles under my leadership. We didn't come close to winning a game in India and we didn't come close to winning a game here before we won on Sunday, except for the mathematical error on the West Indies' part in Guyana."

Referring to the much-quoted remarks he made at the weekend where he said he was at the end of his tether, he said that the comments "were born from frustration". He continued: "We all want to go home, but it does not stop the commitment we all put in on a daily basis. I am absolutely 100% passionate about playing for England. I absolutely never take it for granted about wearing the three lions on my chest.

"The second part of the frustration was I hadn't seen my wife since January 21. It's the longest period of time I've been away from her."

He confirmed that he had asked the England management for a 48-hour break to return home between the third and fourth Tests. "We decided it probably wouldn't be a good idea for the team going forward," he said. "There were no arguments, no nonsense, no disappointment on my behalf. I have been totally supportive of everything that has happened on this tour."