KP has the whole world on his bod

Published Jan 16, 2015

Share

London - Kevin Pietersen is a man notorious for his tattoos, and the former England international cricketer has inked his body once more... this time with a map of the world.

In a picture posted on his Instagram site, the South African-born batsman showed off his new design, stretching from his chest around to his back.

The map, which Pietersen insists is not the wrong way around - 'just the reflection!' - has red stars on certain places around the globe... but what exactly do they signify?

Each mark represents a place that Pietersen has scored an international century for England - be it Test or ODI - including the United Kingdom, South Africa, Pakistan and Australia.

He scored 32 international tons, 23 of those in Test matches for England over a career spanning nearly nine years.

Pietersen made his Test debut in an Ashes triumph in 2005, scoring his maiden ton in the final Test at The Oval - noted by a red star on his rib.

He finished the series as top scorer, with 473 runs over the five Tests - and a highest average of 52.55 too.

There are seven countries in which Pietersen has scored a Test century - England, Australia, Sri Lanka, New Zealand, Pakistan, India and the West Indies - while South Africa and the UAE are added to his tattoo with ODI hundreds.

Before it was clear what the stars indicated, an initial theory was that they marked locations in which Pietersen has played cricket; a missing star in the Melbourne area dispelled that particular idea. Pietersen is currently plying his trade in southern Australia, in the Big Bash League for Melbourne Stars. There is a star in Adelaide, the location of Pietersen's England centuries in 2006 and 2010, but not in the far south of Melbourne.

Pietersen himself fuelled the speculation on Thursday morning when he tweeted: 'Work the stars out yourself on my last Instagram post!'

The batsman is currently averaging 39 runs across five innings in the Big Bash for the Stars, who sit fourth of eight in the standings.

And it appears Pietersen is enjoying his time down under, finding himself a 'superstar tattooist' in Melbourne.

In his autobiography, the 34-year-old was honest in his assessment of his tattoos, admitting that he 'overplayed his Englishness' in getting Three Lions inked on his shoulder. Lets hope he doesn't feel the same way about his new addition in years to come.

Daily Mail

Related Topics: