The absence of Kevin Pietersen is not enough to remove his shadow from England's ICC World Twenty20 campaign.

Stuart Broad's side will begin the defence of their title against Afghanistan in Colombo today but will also have to contend with the perception that they will struggle without their tempestuous batsman.

Broad has long maintained Pietersen's unavailability – due to a continued impasse over his conduct during a Test with South Africa – is an irrelevance, because England have known for almost four months that he would not be part of their campaign. It has been a party line, too, to point out that those who have returned, or who have been promoted, to the Twenty20 team have already excelled and demonstrated potential to do even better.

England will begin their campaign today and will be watched by Pietersen, who will serve as a pundit for the same tournament he dominated in England's march to glory in the Caribbean two years ago. Broad has been unable to shake off questions about Pietersen all month, and so it was again yesterday as he and his team fine-tuned preparations to try to win only England's second world trophy.

Asked directly whether the England dressing room is a happier place without the South Africa-born batsman, Broad was succinct. "No. KP's been around for a long time and obviously done fantastically well for us," said the captain. "His battles with the ECB at the moment mean he's not here, and we have to put up with that.

"The 15 guys in the squad are excited to be here, up for the challenge – and that's what you want coming into a tournament."

Afghanistan will occupy his mind for now, the country having risen from sporting obscurity to prove an irksome threat of late. Yet senior England officials have also found the spectre of Pietersen hard to escape, and they have decided to hold further talks with exiled batsman over his international future.

"I did have a meeting with Kev and I have been involved in meetings. Clearly the issues haven't been resolved and that is why he is not available for selection at the moment," said Alastair Cook, the England Test captain. "Time hopefully will be a healer and we will be able to move on. The issues will still have to be resolved before Kevin plays for England again.

"Meetings are still going on in Sri Lanka at the moment. David Collier and Hugh Morris [senior England officials] are out there as well. If the issues can be resolved, Kevin has said he is available for selection but at the moment that can't happen."

Cook conceded England's hopes of winning the four-Test series in India have been affected by Pietersen's absence. "That is a given," said Cook. "Kevin has proved in all conditions around the world that he is a world class player. His record suggests that in all forms of the game.

"It is a sad circumstance. Clearly he is a world class player and he is not playing for England."