HAMPSHIRE batsman Kevin Pietersen admitted he was ''distraught'' at seeing his Australian tour ended this morning with a fractured rib.

But the Rose Bowl star insisted he would be fit in time for the World Cup starting in the West Indies in early March.Pietersen was hurt when he was struck in the ribs by a Glenn McGrath delivery towards the end of his innings of 82 in England's opening Tri-Series defeat by the host nation in Melbourne today.

He went to hospital and x-rays confirmed the fracture which rules him out of the one-day series which only started today.

''It's not the position I wanted to be in. I had got myself prepared for the one-day series and I was going to try my hardest to lift myself up to give the series a real run for its money,'' he said.''I didn't want to go back home to England with no victory under my belt but it looks like it's going to be that way now.''I've never been hit so hard. I've been hit loads of times in the ribs but never so hard that I couldn't breathe.''I knew it was pretty serious and I asked the physio 'How long is it out for a broken or fractured rib?' and he said four to five weeks.''I'll go back and get my fitness back as fast as I can and come back stronger for the bigger picture, which is the World Cup".The Hampshire star added: ''I'm really down at the moment to be leaving Australia without a victory under our belt. Every single one of the guys is hurting in there but they will come out fighting".Asked who should replace him in the side, he said: ''I'm no selector. I'm just distraught to be going home".