Pietersen takes another hit

Star England batsman Kevin Pietersen has suffered an injury setback, the ECB confirmed on Tuesday as his England team-mates he left behind search for form in county cricket.

While the Australians enjoyed another day off following their devastating Test victory at Headingley inside three days, England's under-performing batsmen began the path towards redemption.

Essex pair Ravi Bopara and Alastair Cook and Warwickshire's Ian Bell, the victim of another Twitter hoax, all stepped out for their counties in the latest round of first-class matches in England.

All three, however, will have to wait another day to begin exorcising their demons as their sides spent the day in the field.

Several players eyeing their berths in the team, with the exception of Robert Key, all blew golden chances to impress selectors ahead of the announcement of England's squad for the fifth Test.

Michael Carberry made just 23 for Hampshire while Owais Shah (eight) and Eoin Morgan (four) failed to reach double figures for Middlesex.

Key strengthened his claims, hitting 90 at the top of the order for Kent.

His innings came as Pietersen, whose absence in England's middle order has rocked the side's Ashes campaign, hit a hurdle in his comeback from an Achilles injury.

Pietersen, who had surgery on his right Achilles after England's triumph at Lord's, has suffered an infection where the incision was made for surgery.

The batsman, who was never in contention to return this series once he opted for surgery, has been given a course of antibiotics and will be discharged from hospital on Wednesday night.

"Medical advice is that a complication can occur post-surgery and indeed resulted in this case, despite Pietersen closely following specialist advice on management of the wound," said an ECB statement.

Pietersen suffered the injury playing in the IPL, held this year in South Africa in April and May, but played through the ICC World Twenty20 in June and the opening two Tests of the Ashes with the aid of injections.

The ECB had initially estimated he would recover within six weeks of surgery but the setback has now put in doubt his participation in the Champions Trophy in South Africa in late September.

Meanwhile, the ECB was forced to issue a statement on behalf of Bell, saying statements made under his name on Twitter were not from the England batsman.