Kevin Pietersen shrugs off media criticism

Kevin Pietersen has opened up about the media criticism that he has received for issues both on and off the pitch.

The England batsman was banned last year for sending derogatory text messages about national team captain Andrew Strauss, but insists that the fall-out from the incident was "water off a duck's back".

However, Pietersen added that there will not be a repeat of last summer's incident as he is concentrating solely on his cricket.

"It affected my family a lot more because I get it all day, every day," he told talkSPORT. "I've been injured for three months now and I haven't spoken to the media. I don't do press any more unless I get a Man of the Match or do well on a certain day, then I'm happy to talk about the game of cricket.

"But I've been burnt too many times and it's just a case of me now concentrating on my cricket and playing my cricket as best I can, because that whole situation hurt my family too much.

"Somebody asked me yesterday, 'can you take some constructive criticism'? I said, 'excuse me? You're talking to somebody who has it for breakfast, lunch and dinner'."

Pietersen will make a return to the England team for their T20 international against New Zealand on Thursday.