Clarke says KP has 'scored enough runs' to earn England recall for Ashes series

Australian Test cricket team captain Michael Clarke has said that axed batsman Kevin Pietersen is scoring enough runs to earn a return to the England team.

Pietersen, who is playing for county cricket team Surrey, has not played for his country since the last Ashes series in Australia, which England lost 5-0. On his return to first-class cricket, he scored 170 against Oxford MCCU.

Clarke said that he does think Pietersen could be at the Ashes, adding that the batsman has certainly scored enough runs, the BBC reported.

England, who are currently touring the West Indies before hosting New Zealand in May, would begin their bid to regain the Ashes in Cardiff on 8 July.

Pietersen's England career appeared to be over after former England and Wales Cricket Board managing director Paul Downton accused him of being disengaged from his teammates during the last Ashes series.

Downton stepped down from his role at the ECB following England's first-round exit from the recent World Cup, and new ECB chairman Colin Graves suggested that Pietersen could return as long as he scores a lot of runs in county cricket.

Clarke said that Pietersen has made it very clear that he wants to play and now it would come down to the England selectors and England board making a decision, but added that at the moment from the Australians' perspective, he is happy if Pietersen is not playing because he is a wonderful player.