England star Kevin Pietersen retired from international limited overs cricket on Thursday, a decision which took the England and Wales Cricket Board by surprise.

Pietersen, who will continue to be available for Test selection, said in a statement he wished to step aside in order to give the next generation of players a chance to bed in before the 2015 World Cup.

The 32-year-old’s decision comes just three months before England are due to launch the defence of their Twenty20 World Cup crown in September.