Pietersen will bounce back says Kallis

Pietersen made a superb 149 at Headingley and averages nearly 50 in Test cricket yet neither of these factors were enough to spare him the axe.

However,Kallis 8212; the outstanding all-rounder of his generation and whose Test batting average of 57.30 puts him among the all-time elite 8212; is certain this is not the end of South Africa-born Pietersen8217;s international career.

8220;I8217;m sure they8217;ll sort it out,8221; Kallis said at Lord8217;s on Tuesday. 8220;He8217;s too good a player to stay out of the international scene. I8217;ve no doubts they8217;ll come to an agreement and something will be sorted out.

8220;These sorts of things are going to happen throughout his career,a few things have happened. I don8217;t think it8217;ll affect him,I think he8217;ll bounce back and I think he8217;s still got a lot of cricket ahead of him.8221;

Kallis,36,said Pietersen8217;s absence left England with a big hole to fill.

8220;He8217;s a world-class player and he8217;s proven that over many years and put in big performances for England so I8217;m sure he8217;s going to be missed,but England8217;s got some good players as well.8221;

South Africa lead this three-match series 1-0,after a crushing innings and 12-run win at The Oval where Kallis scored an unbeaten 182 and now only need to avoid defeat at Lord8217;s,where play starts Thursday,to replace England at the top of the world Test rankings.

Kallis though remains wary of an England side he predicts will put the Pietersen saga to one side when the match begins.

8220;I think the guys are professional enough to get on with the job,8221; he said.

8220;Obviously they are going to want to come out and win the Test match,and once a Test match starts,whatever happened before that,the guys tend to put it behind them and just move forward and look forward.8221;