Kevin Pietersen has been recalled to the England Test team by the ECB.
Pietersen has signed a four-month contract and will now be under the watchful eye of coach Andy Flower, who will monitor a "period of reintegration" as Alastair Cook begins his tenure as Test captain.
Flower will make the decision whether to extend his contract until September 2013, by which point the five-Test Ashes series with Australia will have been played in England.
At a press conference to confirm his impending return, Pietersen said: "It's been a horrible situation for all involved, but it is time to move forward."
The ECB confirmed Pietersen has apologised to Andrew Strauss over "provocative text messages" he sent about the England captain and "wishes to express to all those who support England his regrets at the impact the recent controversies have had on the England Team".
Pietersen, 31, admitted the messages exchanged with South African Test players were provocative, but did not send any further "derogatory" messages which were "derogatory about England players or officials.
Any tactical information was not divulged to members of the South African side either, the ECB added.
Pietersen could now be included for the winter tour of India now he is to be "re-integrated".
He had initially been left out of the party last month, with ECB managing director Hugh Morris stating "there are issues still to be resolved", which lead to his omission.
Surrey batsman Pietersen has experienced a fraught year within the England set-up.
In May he announced his retirement from all forms of international limited overs cricket with immediate effect, a week after he was fined for criticising Sky Sports pundit Nick Knight on Twitter.
And despite hitting a man of the match 149 in the second Test against South Africa at Headingley, the South African-born cricketer was dropped for the final Test at Lord's after details of him texting opponents emerged.
How Pietersen's return will affect the England team harmony will come under the microscope despite his penitence. Since his omission, it was confirmed the parody account which upset him on Twitter was managed by a friend of England bowler and Twenty20 captain Stuart Broad. Spinner Graeme Swann meanwhile stressed England were not a "weaker team" without Pietersen.