Pietersen ruled out of World Cup

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Kevin Pietersen is to fly home from the World Cup to undergo surgery on his hernia injury. He is expected to be out for around six weeks

Kevin Pietersen is to return home from England’s World Cup campaign in the next 24 hours due to a hernia injury, the England and Wales Cricket Board has confirmed.

It had already been announced that Pietersen would undergo hernia surgery after the World Cup, but he appeared laboured in the field in yesterday’s thrilling win over South Africa and the England management have acted to avoid further aggravation of the problem.

The ECB has called up Eoin Morgan as Pietersen’s replacement in the squad, which the Internationl Cricket Council today approved.

Pietersen’s injury was confirmed in the UK prior to the team's departure for the World Cup and it had been hoped England’s medical staff would be able to nurse the problem through the remainder of the tournament.

Speaking on Saturday, Pietersen said: "I'm obviously extremely disappointed to have picked up this hernia injury.

"It will no doubt impact my preparation but careful management should see me still play a significant role in the team's campaign."

But Pietersen complained of soreness after bowling eight overs in the victory against South Africa, while his performance with the bat in the six-run victory in Chennai gleaned just two runs.

The operation will require around six weeks of recovery and is also set to rule Pietersen out of the Indian Premier League, which he was due to contest with Deccan Chargers.

Morgan was originally named in England’s World Cup squad but was removed after suffering a broken finger in the build-up to the tournament.

He has responded well to treatment, however, and even if he is not deemed fit enough to face Bangladesh on Friday, he will be a key addition to the squad for the knockout stage should England qualify.

Watch the latest World Cup video news from the England team on ecb.co.uk