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London: England team director Andy Flower believes Kevin Pietersen is in the right frame of mind to overpower South Africa in the forthcoming Test series.
Pietersen will stay in England to complete his recovery from an Achilles injury when England fly to Bloemfontein on Saturday for the start of the tour.
But the Hampshire batsman will join his England team-mates on November 9 - in time for the first one-day international.
After admitting he had fallen out of love with cricket prior to England's Ashes victory over Australia this year, Pietersen is rediscovering his passion for the sport.
He batted for the first time in three months on Friday in a training session at Lord's and Flower said: "He's still got a bit of rehab work to do to get up to speed.
"Hopefully he'll be ok to play in the warm-up game against South Africa A and then ready to go at the start of the one-day series.
"That is what we are targeting. The infection has slowed everything up otherwise he would have been back during the English summer.
"But he brings a superb record, flair, confidence and the ability to counter attack.
However, Flower expects Jonathan Trott to receive a more hostile reception after being criticised by former England captain Michael Vaughan.
Vaughan claimed Trott, who made a century in his first Ashes-winning Test at the Oval this summer, was celebrating with South African players after they beat England at Edgbaston in 2008.
Flower said: "I saw Trotty on Wednesday and he knew stuff was coming out in the papers and he was comfortable about it. He said 'Look, I've got a clear conscience about it. I was caught up in the wrong place at the wrong time'. There was nothing malicious about it at all and I agree with him and believe him.
