Pietersen may opt out of IPL 2009

Antigua (West Indies), Mar.8 (ANI): England's Kevin Pietersen, the most expensive player at last month's Indian Premier League auction, is considering withdrawing from the lucrative Twenty20 tournament, due to start next month.

The former England captain, speaking to the News of the World, has said that he will "be consulting as many people as I can but if I don't think it is right, then I will not be going".

Pietersen was signed by the Bangalore Royal Challengers for a record 1.1 million pounds and was due to be with them for three weeks, but he is now clearly having doubts about his personal safety.

"After this final Test against the West Indies, I will be speaking to Bangalore, to the ECB, to my agent and to security advisers. Then I will be a lot clearer in my thoughts than I am now. Since the terror attacks in Mumbai we are all now more mindful of our own security arrangements," Pietersen said.

"Hopefully, the security will come right for India, but if everybody pulls out of the IPL then it would be a disaster, a catastrophe and world cricket would really be on a down," he added.

Fellow England players Andrew Flintoff, Owais Shah, Ravi Bopara and Paul Collingwood are also contracted to take part in the competition but there must be doubts about their willingness to travel to India. (ANI)