Somerset boss Matthew Maynard plays down chances of signing Kevin Pietersen

Somerset director of cricket Matthew Maynard has told Sky Sports he doubts whether a deal to bring Kevin Pietersen to Taunton is possible.

Pietersen is not currently contracted to an English county after his Surrey registration was cancelled in October - a week before the publication of his controversial autobiography.

The 34-year-old said later that month he would consider returning to Surrey in 2015, but in the meantime his history with Maynard has seen him linked with Somerset.

Tha pair worked together when Maynard was on England's coaching staff and again when he was in charge of St Lucia in the Caribbean Premier League.

"I make no secret of being a great admirer," Maynard told Sky Sports. "I took him to the Caribbean Premier League, and he could add a huge amount to Somerset.

"He is a class player and that has always been the case, he has shown that again with Melbourne in the Big Bash, where he is the leading scorer.

"He is a quality player and it is nice to be linked with him but there has been no correspondence."

The sticking point, according to Maynard, could be Pietersen's ongoing relationship with Surrey, where the head coach is Graham Ford - the man he desribes as his "mentor".

Scrapping his registration meant Pietersen could not face disciplinary action from the England and Wales Cricket Board over the contents of his book, and Maynard suspects the batsman may ultimately end up back at The Oval.