England fast bowler Stuart Broad has insisted that he would be prepared to play alongside Kevin Pietersen again.

Pietersen was sacked from England last year after an Ashes whitewash, and later released a book criticising many of his former teammates, including Broad.

However, the ECB suggested that the batsman could return two months ago, before new director of cricket Andrew Strauss told him that it wasn't possible this year.

Broad told reporters: "The biggest point is that players don't have a choice over who they're playing with. But anyone in the dressing room who gets given that shirt and cap, you trust, because people above you have the made the decision that they're the right people to play for England.

"Down the line, and I don't know what people are thinking, but if in five years' time selectors decide KP is this guy they want back in this England side, if people have decided above me that he's the right person to do that, then of course [I would play with him]."

England will begin their summer series against New Zealand on Thursday.