Pietersen a big loss to England - Sangakkara and Gayle

Sri Lanka batsman Kumar Sangakkara, named the Cricketer of the Year by the ICC, says Kevin Pietersen's omission from England's Twenty20 World Cup squad is a "unfortunate" and a boost for England's rivals.

Also speaking at the International Cricket Council awards, West Indies batsman Chris Gayle adds that Pietersen's absence is a "big loss" for the tournament, and believes the situation between him and the ECB is "very unfortunate" on both a personal and professional level.

Pietersen was dropped from the Test squad during the series against South Africa for sending "provocative" texts to some South Africa players.