Pietersen unhappy with workload

Kevin Pietersen believes the demands of world cricket mean top stars are playing too much cricket and being treated no different to county pros.

The Hampshire batsman has been an England regular in both forms of the game for the past two years.

And he said: "There are loads and loads of demands on your time now.

"The world game is becoming like county cricket, which is hard but it's what we've wanted to do since we were kids so we've just got to get on and do it."

But Pietersen said he would never pull out of overseas tours, despite his plans to get married and start a family with pop star Jessica Taylor.

"I'm a bit worried about it, but not as worried as the reports say I am.

"I'm never going to be in a situation where I turn a tour down or a game down because I love doing this.

"But it might be a different story if I was a fast bowler trying to run in hard every week."

Pietersen, 26, was speaking at an Urban Cricket coaching clinic on behalf of Test sponsors npower at Bowburn Junior School in Durham.

Once the Test series starts against India we don't really have a break until the middle of October

Kevin Pietersen

He said it was important to plan time away from the game - and work hard at improving his technique between matches.

He is already eyeing a break between the final one-day international against West Indies at Trent Bridge on July 7 and start of the first Test against India at Lord's 12 days later as a possible opportunity to rest.

"I'm good at switching off and donating a load of my time to family and people away from the game and I do like to get away.

"Once the Test series starts against India we don't really have a break until the middle of October so you have to have your time away to try to recharge your batteries.

"It doesn't matter how well or badly you're playing, you have to have that balance."

Writing in his Test Match Special blog on Thursday, BBC cricket correspondent Jonathan Agnew said he "sensed an increasing discontent" among top international players.

He feels the next step would be for players to boycott an International Cricket Council event, such as the 2008 Champions Trophy.