Broad denies any role in Pietersen's parody Twitter account row

Johannesburg - England fast bowler Stuart Broad has denied playing any role in a parody Twitter account for Kevin Pietersen, as the current row over the batsman's axing for the Lord's Test was continued on Tuesday.

The parody Twitter account, KP Genius was set up by Richard Bailey, a friend of Broad, and had been believed to have added to the stressed relations Pietersen felt within the England dressing room amid suggestions some of his team-mates were involved.

However, Broad, in a statement issued by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) on Tuesday, just two days before the start of the third and final Test against South Africa at Lord's, said he had nothing to do with it.

"Following last (Monday) night's statement by Mr Richard Bailey that he was responsible for creating a parody Twitter account in Kevin Pietersen's name, I would like to confirm that I had no involvement in this whatsoever," Sports24 quote Broad, as saying in the statement.

"I met with the Managing Director, England Cricket, Hugh Morris this morning and assured him that I did not play any role in the creation of this account or provide Mr Bailey with any information regarding Kevin Pietersen or the England team," he added.

"As has been widely reported Mr Bailey is a friend of mine, but we had no conversations regarding this issue at all and I am pleased that he has now decided to close the parody account down," he said.

Morris added: "Having discussed this matter with Stuart, I am fully satisfied that he acted in a professional manner at all times and did not breach any confidences regarding fellow England players."

Last weekend, Pietersen was dramatically dropped from England's squad, despite scoring a superb 149 in the second Test at Headingley, after failing to reveal the contents of text messages allegedly sent to South African players during that match.