England team director Andy Flower has said that he is hoping positively about star batsman Kevin Pietersen's chances of returning to fitness in time for the Ashes series against Australia, after seeing the player batting in Twitter images.
A knee injury has kept Pietersen out of action since March, forcing him to miss the two-Test series at home to New Zealand, the Indian Premier League and next month's ICC Champions Trophy, the Sydney Morning Herald reports.
The report further said that Pietersen, however, hopes to be available for the Ashes, which starts at Trent Bridge on July 10, and posted pictures of himself batting on Twitter, firing Flower's hopes.
According to Flower, he is thinking optimistically about the improvement of Pietersen' return to fitness and is pleased to know that he is pain free from the Twitter pictures, adding that Pietersen is a special player and they want him back as soon as he is fit enough.
Pietersen's absence has allowed Yorkshire pair Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow to stake long-term Test claims, and they have impressed on their home ground with their performances in England's 247-run second-Test win over New Zealand at Headingley.
Pietersen's return would force a reshuffle of England's batting order, but Flower was reluctant to discuss suggestions Root could be moved up the order at the expense of opener Nick Compton, the report added.