Kevin Pietersen will watch on as England try to reclaim The Ashes from an unusual location on the banks of the Sabi river in South Africa with his stunning wife
Kevin Pietersen has certainly found joy in retirement as he prepares to watch England during The Ashes.
The former cricketer is living a life of luxury alongside popstar wife Jessica Taylor with mansions, supercars and even a South African safari lodge to keep them busy. Pietersen was part of the sport from 1997 until 2018, winning The Ashes in 2005 on his maiden appearance in the Test cricket series. He had stints in England and India, playing for a host of clubs until he bid farewell to cricket over seven years ago.
Nowadays, the 45-year-old spends most of his time at his Wentworth Estate mansion in Surrey with his family. He and wife Jessica, who is part of British band Liberty X, share two children – teenager Dylan and Rosie, who is around 10 years old.
Pietersen first met his wife in 2006 and the pair didn’t waste any time in walking down the aisle, getting married just one year later. Following his exit from the England squad in 2014, the ex-cricket star admitted this snub from his country actually boosted the strength of his marriage and family life.
Speaking in 2017, Pietersen said: “England did me a favour in sacking me in 2014 because it has helped me with my relationship with my kids no end. I didn’t want to be a lousy dad.
“Jess has been a rock to me but we’ve had tough times. People don’t understand the pressure that goes on between the four walls of home when it’s all going wrong, like it did for me on a daily basis for a year. We’ve put up with a hell of a lot while I was playing for England.
“That massive fallout I had with England raised my profile and assisted and enabled me to turn a bad thing into a good thing. People think, ‘cricket, cricket, cricket.’
“Well, stuff cricket. It means that what Jess and the kids have now is so special. I’ve got such a wonderful life. I wouldn’t want to be back on that England treadmill. It becomes monotonous.”
The ex-England star also enjoys a taste for supercars and has been seen cruising about in Lamborghinis, Ferraris and a Range Rover Sport. Pietersen was spotted in the past in Melbourne getting into a Lamborghini Murcielago, which is worth approximately £200,000.
However, the 45-year-old recently swapped the need for speed for a more environmentally friendly model as he opted for a Tesla Model S. This switch hasn’t come cheap as most models come in at around the £80,000 mark.
Pietersen’s passion for eco-friendliness doesn’t stop at his vehicular choices as he also owns an entire safari lodge in the heart of South Africa.
This project was launched by the former cricketer and his wife in 2018 and was developed to help protect the conservation of the athlete’s birthplace.
The lodge is situated on the banks of the Sabi river, costs around £300 per night and is surrounded by many wild animals roaming the plains. Guests can visit the panoramic viewing deck to take in the sights and are even provided with telescopes so they can enjoy the night sky in full view.
Pietersen is extremely proud of this passion project as he told The Nielsen Network in 2022 just how much his birthplace means to him.
The former England star said: “I’ve always had a great relationship with South Africa and I think that people can probably see that now since I finished playing cricket for England.
“You’re not allowed to like the enemy, you’re not allowed to be the enemy but I’ve always been proud of my roots, I’ve always been proud of my upbringing. I am South African at the end of the day.
“For me, it means everything. You only have to ask my wife, you only have to have a look at one of her Instagram posts…you can see that she knew how happy I was.”