Australia captain Michael Clarke has claimed that England will be weaker without Kevin Pietersen during this summer's Ashes.

New England and Wales Cricket Board director Andrew Strauss recently confirmed that the batsman would not be part of the squad for the series due to a 'lack of trust' between the former teammates.

Clarke, who is a personal friend of Pietersen's, believes that Australia's task of retaining the Ashes in England will be made easier by the 34-year-old's absence.

"There are probably two sides in this for me," he is quoted as saying by Sky Sports News. "There's the personal side where I feel for KP because I get on well with him and I'd love to see him back playing cricket for England. His form has been outstanding, he's still a great player and I know he wants to play, so I feel for him on that side.

"The other is that we go there soon, to play against England, and any team without Kevin Pietersen in it I don't think is as strong. His statistics speak for themselves. He's been a wonderful player over a long period of time and he's obviously still in career-best form."

The first Ashes Test between England and Australia will get underway in Cardiff on July 8.