The South African-born batsman is one of his adopted country's leading run-scorers since making his one-day international and Test debuts in 2004 and 2005 respectively.
His England career ended ignominiously after he was left out of a squad to tour the Caribbean in 2014, which followed a disastrous 5-0 Ashes whitewash in Australia.
There were suggestions Pietersen could be recalled earlier this year, particularly when he hit 326 not out, his maiden triple century, for county side Surrey against Leicestershire in May.
But Andrew Strauss, appointed the ECB's director of cricket that month, met with his former team-mate to confirm the 35-year-old would remain out of selection contention.
"I thought that with the regime and the new chairman and the new CEO and Straussy and his new role, I thought that things had changed," Pietersen told the BBC.
"I was told things had changed.
"That's why I gave up on a big deal in India and that's why I committed myself to county cricket again.
"So to be told no…"
Asked if he felt he had been misled, Pietersen said: "Hugely"
The former Nottinghamshire and Hampshire man went on to insist that although he has little contact with Strauss, he does not hold a grudge against the former England captain.
"I haven't spoken to him," he said.
"I don't think I need to get in touch with him about things. I just live my life.
"He's doing a job and it seems like he's doing a good job. And he's a good guy. But we don't cross paths. No doubt I'll see him, he's fine. He was my team-mate for 10 years for goodness sakes - people make so much out of it.
"There's no issue."
Pietersen confirmed he declined the offer of a position working with England in a part-time coaching capacity due to concerns about a potential conflict of interest.
"It might be quite hard while I'm still playing," he said.
"It's quite hard for me to be a consultant while I play. I think that's the chat for when I come to the end of my career."
But it appears that conversation may not arrive for some time yet.
"I'm in the top three or four run-scorers in every tournament I play. That's the standards that I set myself," Pietersen added.