Trott quits the tour!

Crumbs. Didn't see that coming.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/cricket/25085025

A "long standing stress-related condition".

"I don't think it is right that I'm playing knowing that I'm not 100%," said the 32-year-old.

"He needs time away from this environment and time with his family," said England coach Andy Flower.

Jesus Christ - another one bites the dust. Suppose he's quietly been on the treadmill without much respite, but still a shocker:

Jonathan Trott, the England batsman, has left the Ashes tour with a stress-related illness and will not return for the remainder of the series following the visitors' 381-run defeat in the first Test at the Gabba. Trott departed Brisbane on Monday after falling for low scores to the short-pitched bowling of Mitchell Johnson in both innings of the match.

England team management have been aware for some time that Trott was not feeling his best, and the team director Andy Flower and ECB managing director Hugh Morris spoke to him during the Brisbane Test, after which time the decision was made. England are not ruling out Trott's return to international cricket at a later date, as he is known to have battled other bouts of stress during a Test career that began with a century against Australia at the Oval in 2009.

Jonathan Trott leaves England's Ashes tour with stress-related illness


Andy Wilson in Brisbane
theguardian.com, Monday 25 November 2013 19.00 AEST

Jonathan Trott has sensationally left England's Ashes tour after only one Test – but England insist his departure is down to a long-term stress related illness, and that he is not running away from the technical problems that have been exposed by Mitchell Johnson, and mocked by David Warner.

"I don't feel it is right that I'm playing knowing that I'm not 100% and I cannot currently operate at the level I have done in the past,” said Trott.

“My priority now is to take a break from cricket so that I can focus on my recovery. I want to wish my team-mates all the very best for the remainder of the tour."

David Warner described Trott's second-innings dismissal by Mitchell Johnson as "pretty poor and pretty weak". That caused the England captain, Alastair Cook, to say: "I think the comment by David Warner was pretty disrespectful to any professional cricketer really."


________________________


Jaysus!

Might explain why England were a bit tetchy about Warner's words about Trott being mentally weak, if they knew he was struggling.

Why would they pick him for the tour, though, if that was the case?

Very strange.

Holy shit, the wheels are coming off.

I sympathise with the bloke. He's been under a lot do pressure, and he must be in a pretty bad place to leave the tour.

Shit a brick!!! He's done a Tresco!!

Good luck to him in his recovery. I hope it goes well. Nasty gear.

Any news on a replacement?

Surely Bell to 3 and Ballance in the side now?

Neil D wrote:Holy shit, the wheels are coming off.

I sympathise with the bloke.  He's been under a lot do pressure, and he must be in a pretty bad place to leave the tour.

So that's Trescothick, Yardy and Trott who England have broken.

And Monty's lost all bowel control.

Their methods must be on a par with water-boarding. They should use them at Abu Ghraib.

JGK wrote:Any news on a replacement?

Surely Bell to 3 and Ballance in the side now?

I'd say Bell to 3, Root to 5,and either Ballance or Stokes in at 6.

JGK wrote:Any news on a replacement?

Surely Bell to 3 and Ballance in the side now?

The Performance Squad (or whatever they call themselves these days) are out there, I think.

Moeen Ali, Varun Chopra, Sam "isn't he an Aussie?" Robson, Alex Lees and James Vince are all openers or top three bats. And all uncapped.

Don't know why James Taylor isn't part of it. Aside from being rubbish.

Dello wrote:Might explain why England were a bit tetchy about Warner's words about Trott being mentally weak, if they knew he was struggling.

Why would they pick him for the tour, though, if that was the case?

Very strange.

I guess Warner had no way of knowing (I hope), but the 100% right thing to do ASAP is to apologise and state exactly that.

Dello wrote:

JGK wrote:Any news on a replacement?

Surely Bell to 3 and Ballance in the side now?

The Performance Squad (or whatever they call themselves these days) are out there, I think.

Moeen Ali, Varun Chopra, Sam "isn't he an Aussie?" Robson, Alex Lees and James Vince are all openers or top three bats. And all uncapped.

Don't know why James Taylor isn't part of it. Aside from being rubbish.

Surely they won't risk Robson at this stage of his career given the sledging he will undoubtedly cop.

JGK wrote:

Dello wrote:

JGK wrote:Any news on a replacement?

Surely Bell to 3 and Ballance in the side now?

The Performance Squad (or whatever they call themselves these days) are out there, I think.

Moeen Ali, Varun Chopra, Sam "isn't he an Aussie?" Robson, Alex Lees and James Vince are all openers or top three bats. And all uncapped.

Don't know why James Taylor isn't part of it. Aside from being rubbish.

Surely they won't risk Robson at this stage of his career given the sledging he will undoubtedly cop.

Yeah, that would be suicidal. Alex Lees is just a kid with half a season of FC cricket under his belt, so I'd count him out too.

Moeen Ali scored f*ck loads of runs last season - and bowls decent off breaks. James Vince finished the season like a train. Wouldn't fancy either of them, frankly, to debut on this tour, but unless they call up Ravi Bopara from wherever he's hiding out, they're short on players with international experience.

Oh, Nick Compton. He's still alive. Although last seen in America, dancing on TV in his underpants (true story).

JGK wrote:

Dello wrote:

JGK wrote:Any news on a replacement?

Surely Bell to 3 and Ballance in the side now?

The Performance Squad (or whatever they call themselves these days) are out there, I think.

Moeen Ali, Varun Chopra, Sam "isn't he an Aussie?" Robson, Alex Lees and James Vince are all openers or top three bats. And all uncapped.

Don't know why James Taylor isn't part of it. Aside from being rubbish.

Surely they won't risk Robson at this stage of his career given the sledging he will undoubtedly cop.

Aye. Reminds me of when SAffie Smith first came into Tests and copped an unmerciful bollocking from Matt Hayden at slip and short leg, them made the mistake of openly sooking about it.

Speaking of whom, MtFTB tweeted the following this arvo (obtained from Cricinfo)...

"What a joke @MClarke23 fined 20%. Keep driving it into Em Pup #softunderbelly It's the bloody #Ashes up for grabs not tidily winks."

Tidily winks????

Matt showing the, er, unique, er, benefits of a Bjelkieland 'education'....

hope he can get the help and support he needs

Nath wrote:hope he can get the help and support he needs

and Trott does too

Anyway... when's the next Ashes series, now this one's a write off?

Yeah, bad news indeed.
Poor bugger . . . wish him well and a speedy recovery.
An intense tour, such as any Down Under, is no place to be when dealing with that sh*t.

Root to 3.
KP 4
Dinga 5
Balance (maybe call for Morgan??) 6
The Ginga 7 (drop Prior)

As someone who has suffered from stress/anxiety and the resultant depression, I can only wish Trott the best in his recovery.

And for god sake keep Warner away from the microphone.

I'm off the Prior bandwagon. So yeah, but I'd probably go:

Bell
Headless f*ckface
Nephew
Ballance
Jonny B. Knicks

Gorsh. How desperate we've become in the space of four days.

"Headless F*ckface"

New favourite nickname.

WTF's Nephew?

pinger wrote:And for gods sake keep Warner away from the microphone.

Post of the day so far.