KEVIN Pietersen will have just 20 hours to rest and re-acclimatise in the Caribbean before he must switch back on for England in an ICC World Twenty20 semi-final.

But captain Paul Collingwood has no qualms about compromised preparation or jet-lag issues, confident instead that England’s mercurial number three will be so invigorated at becoming a father for the first time that his game head will be well and truly on against Sri Lanka.

Pietersen’s pop star wife gave birth to a baby boy on Monday morning, two days after he flew from Barbados to London to be present.

He had just produced the second of two successive man-of-the-match performances to help England easily beat his native South Africa at Kensington Oval – but was then on the other side of the Atlantic when Collingwood and co scraped a three-wicket win over New Zealand to book their place in today’s semi-final at Beausejour Stadium.

Asked whether it is asking a lot of Pietersen to immediately reproduce his best form within a day of switching continents, Collingwood said: “No, I don’t think so at all.”

He believes the euphoria of fatherhood will ensure Pietersen is ready, and his return can only benefit his team-mates too.

“He’s going to be in a great frame of mind,” said the Durham star. “He’s just had a baby boy; he’ll be a happy man; he’s had a little bit of a break, and it might do him the world of good just to come straight back into it.”

Collingwood is equally convinced of his team’s collective well-being.

England’s self-belief has been evident from the start of this tournament.

And it remains as strong as ever – against opponents who were Lord’s finalists in last year’s edition of this tournament.

“We’re confident that if we put similar performances in we’re going to win,” Collingwood added.