After enduring a traumatic first Test at the Gabba in Brisbane, including a verbal attack from Australian batsman, David Warner, questioning his bravery against the barrage of fast bowling that the Australian’s were serving up, England’s Jonathan Trott has returned home from the Ashes tour, as the result of a long-standing stress-related condition.
Trott certainly struggled against the pace of Mitchell Johnson at the Gabba, but he was far from alone, as England suffered a humiliating defeat inside four days. Trott managing a total of just 19 runs in his two innings.
The player himself didn’t think that it was right, or fair to his team, for him to be playing, when he clearly wasn’t 100% focused on the game, while England’s coach Andy Flower was supportive in explaining that Trott needed time away from the cricket environment, and that time would be spent with his family.
Trott played in all five Tests against Australia in the summer, and batted ten times, but averaged only 29, a poor return by his own high standards.
The coach has stated that selecting Trott for the current tour was the correct decision, and is also hopeful that the batsman will be able to return to international cricket in the future. No immediate decision has been made as to who will replace the Warwickshire player, from the England performance squad, which provides the back-up to the main party.
England may decide to move Ian Bell up the order to bat at number three, filling his middle-order spot with Yorkshire’s Jonny Bairstow, the uncapped Gary Ballance, or all-rounder Ben Stokes, who would offer the side an extra bowling option.
Since making his Test debut in the decisive fifth Test of the 2009 Ashes series, when he scored a vital century, which helped England secure the victory which regained them the urn, Trott has become an integral part of England’s Test and ODI side, and has scored 3763 Test runs at an average of over 46, and just under 3,000 ODI runs at over 51.
Returns that see him ranked at number eight in the ICC’s world rankings for ODI batsmen and is in the top 15 in the Test format.