I have considered myself English for ages Kevin Pietersen

Kevin Pietersen has confirmed he wants to quit Notts despite having a year left on his contract.

"I haven't been happy there for a while and I want to leave," the South African batsman told the BBC Sport website.

"The pitch at Trent Bridge has been one of my problems. I've been doing OK but I could have done so much better if the wicket had been good."

Pietersen becomes eligible to play for England next year and is spending the winter with the national Academy squad.

He was born in Pietermaritzburg but his mother was born in England and he has a British passport.

"I qualify to play for England in August next year and if I continue doing the things I have done for the past three years, then hopefully things will happen for me," he said.

"It's been a huge ambition of mine to play at the highest level and I want to do that for England."

The 23-year-old's selection for the Academy squad underlines how highly he is rated by the England hierarchy.

Pietersen, who stands 6ft 4 ins tall and also bowls off-spin, has scored 3,945 runs at an average of 51 during his career and hit four centuries in each of the past three seasons.

PIETERSEN'S NOTTS RECORD 2001 1,275 first-class runs, average 57.9, highest score 218no 2002 871 first-class runs, average 62.2, highest score 254no 2003 1,546 first-class runs, average 51.5, highest score 221

They include a career best 254 not out off 252 balls against Middlesex at Trent Bridge last year, an innings which included three sixes and 31 fours.

He was easily the club's highest scorer during the 2003 season with more than 2,000 runs in all competitions.

Cricket manager Mick Newell said last month: "He has got a year left on his contract and we expect him to fulfil it."

But Pietersen's agent has been holding talks with the club with a view to securing his release and he has already been linked with Surrey, Middlesex and Northamptonshire.

The rumour going around Lord's was that Pietersen was coming to Middlesex From Janet Davis Have your say on TMS

A powerful ball-striker, Pietersen turned his back on a contract with KwaZulu-Natal to join Notts in 2001, when Newell's predecessor, former South African skipper Clive Rice, was in charge.

He will spend the first half of the winter at the new Academy headquarters in Loughborough.

The squad will then make a six-week tour Malaysia and India in the New Year.