The England and Wales Cricket Board rejected Royal Challenger Bangalore physiotherapist's claim that Kevin Pietersen aggravated his Achilles injury during the Indian Premier League in South Africa in April. An ECB spokesman described the claims as "blatantly untrue" and Pietersen had never been ordered to refrain from running during his stint with Bangalore. "Pietersen reported to Loughborough before he flew out to South Africa and was passed fit to join up with Bangalore," the spokesman said. "ECB medical staff sent Bangalore's fitness programme and at no stage did Kevin Pietersen do anything to contradict that and at no stage was he told not to go running," the ECB spokesman was quoted as saying by 'The Guardian'. "Kevin Pietersen is the most diligent and responsible of trainers and prides himself on his physical fitness and preparation for playing cricket," he added. "The ECB medical staff hold him as one of the best examples of a player who does everything within his power to achieve maximum fitness." The ECB's rebuttal comes after Evan Speechly,Bangalore's assistant coach and physiotherapist,claimed on Friday that Pietersen had gone on a training run in Durban. A spokesman for the player said last night,"Kevin had a medical before he went on the trip (to the IPL in South Africa). He would not have been allowed to get on the plane if there was anything wrong."
