London - The departure of Paul Downton from the England hierarchy has "opened the door" to Kevin Pietersen's return to international cricket, according to the star batsman's Surrey team-mate Chris Tremlett.
Downton's exit as managing director of the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) was announced on Wednesday bringing to an end a turbulent 15 months in charge that included the hugely controversial decision to terminate star batsman Pietersen's international career following the 2013/14 Ashes whitewash loss in Australia.
But Pietersen, encouraged by incoming ECB chairman Colin Graves's words that he is not barred permanently from the England set-up, is now preparing for his first County Championship action since 2013 after agreeing a new deal with Surrey as he tries to secure a Test recall through sheer weight of runs.