ENGLAND DUO EXPECTED TO BE NAMED IN SQUAD

The South African-raised duo are anticipated to be included in a 16-man party for the four-Test campaign, which follows a month of limited-overs action.

Pietersen, 29, has been sidelined since July following Achilles surgery and although he is not certain to be fit for the two Twenty20 internationals on November 13 and 15, the England hierarchy remain optimistic of his return during the five-match one-day series.

Pietersen has not played since hobbling out of the Ashes victory at Lord's and straight into an operating theatre. His recovery then received a setback when the scar caused by the operation became infected.

"We can't say yet but I am still thinking positively along the lines of him starting the South African tour," said England coach Andy Flower, who doubles up as one of four selectors.

Pietersen will understandably be itching to play his first Test series in his homeland, having made such a startling impact in his first winter with England five years ago.

Three hundreds in five one-day internationals during 2004-05, against a backdrop of boos, ensured a colourful start to an international career which has rarely been anything else.

Trott, like Pietersen a scorer of an Ashes-sealing hundred, is likely to be named in both one-day and Test squads.

Possible Test squad: AJ Strauss (captain), AN Cook, IR Bell, KP Pietersen, IJL Trott, PD Collingwood, MJ Prior (wkt), SM Davies (wkt), SCJ Broad, TT Bresnan, GP Swann, JM Anderson, RJ Sidebottom, AU Rashid, G Onions, SJ Harmison.

Possible one-day squad: AJ Strauss (captain), JL Denly, OA Shah, PD Collingwood, IJL Trott, EJG Morgan, MJ Prior (wkt), LJ Wright, SCJ Broad, TT Bresnan, GP Swann, AU Rashid, G Onions, RJ Sidebottom, JM Anderson; KP Pietersen (subject to fitness).