Sangakkara glad of Pietersen\\\'s England exile

LONDON, June 9 (AFP): Sri Lanka great Kumar Sangakkara has said the tourists are glad not to be facing the "amazing" Kevin Pietersen in a two-Test series against England starting at Lord's on Thursday.

Pietersen, England's all-time leading run-scorer across all formats, was dramatically axed from the national side following their 5-0 Ashes thrashing, even though he was the team's top-scorer in Australia.

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) have suggested that a "distracted" and "disinterested" Pietersen, an ex-England captain, was not conducive to dressing-room harmony.

But Sangakkara, himself a world-class batsman, said it took all types of characters to make a successful side.

"I don't know the reasons for KP's exclusion but the fact remains that he's an amazing player," Sangakkara told Monday's edition of online magazine Wisden EXTRA.