Jonathan Trott on his way home

[LamieRobertson]

I hope the whole squad gets better.

lol....ye at playing cricket

 

[leigull]

Caddick and Vaughan have been on the radio and just laughed off the comments from Clarke as part of the game, although personally I thought they were lacking in class, I've played cricket long enough to know there's some great sledging out there and those comments weren't.

Warner should crawl back under a stone, gobby little shit.

I don't know cricket well enough to know how far the onfield 'banter' goes. Would be surprised if it's common occurrence for a captain to talk about a tail end batsman getting an f'ing broken arm though. Coupled with Warner's comments the Aussie's do seem to have forgotten how to react to a win.

Get well soon Trott.

 

[Publius Ovidius]

What silly comments...what makes you think that he wasn't assessed before they went out there? Seems to show a total lack of understanding and assumptions.
it was mentioned this morning by various commentators that trott had not been feeling good for a while and there had been concerns.
You also seemed to have tied in the sledging which is a totally different issue compared to what Trott is going through...perhaps suggesting 'we are going to break your arm' should be a debate for another thread

The sledging bit can be tied in here as it was obvious to those of us who sat up and watched the play unfolding that they were going after trott, especially following the comments in the media. If you recall, david gower mentioned it in the commentary when Johnson was trying to knock trots head off and following it up with a verbal volley after almost every ball!

 

[maltaseagull]

Big shame. Hope he gets better.

Agreed but it's a pity he didn't mention it before he left the UK? Didn't Marcus Trescothick have a similar issue and it finished his international career?

 

[sussexseagullHH]

He averages over 50 and has played against every other Test nation. We're not talking a rabbit here.

Somewhat strengthens my view that there's too much cricket right now - Trott has gone straight from Australian one-dayers into preparing for this one, with no time to sort any problems out, spend real time with family etc and get his head straight.

It's not sport any more, it's business. If sport was what mattered, we wouldn't be on an Ashes tour so soon after the last one. Thoughts with him in recovering.

I've long thought this. I love Cricket but it does seem to be a year round sport now (hence ceartain players only playing in one form on the game)and it may be too much for the players welfare. Unlike footballers or other sports, they are spending long periods of the year away from home. Cant be good for mental health. Hope Trott feels better, fantastic player and a model Cricket player.

 

[dragonred]

English through and through and of course massive sympathy on a personal level for Trotty, he'll almost certainly not come back from this at the same level as a fundamental weakness is now known and any rival sportsman whose 'professional' will target any perceived weakness instantly - that's the nature of professional sport. But I can't see why a single jot of hand wringing and criticism of the Aussies over this, anyone watching the last few innings could see they had spotted an inherent inability to deal with the fast ball at the body and had in Johnson the man to target that, so when Warner implied a weakness of character/spirit, he was only saying what the rest of his team saw close up on the pitch, sadly obvious fear in Trotty's eyes and actions induced by an inability to work out any way to deal with a bowler who'd got the upper hand. If anyone thinks Anderson & Broad wouldn't have targeted such a weakness, that Prior especially wouldn't have sledged away behind the stumps, or Bell close in, then they are being very one eyed here. If the English management and captain had even the slightest inkling of this illness pre-series, they should never have allowed him to play or tour and should be held accountable for this. If they didn't know then neither did the Aussies so sad as it all is, no criticism whatsoever can fairly be levelled at anyone else when sledging is acceptable and normal.

 

[Surf's Up]

The sledging bit can be tied in here as it was obvious to those of us who sat up and watched the play unfolding that they were going after trott, especially following the comments in the media. If you recall, david gower mentioned it in the commentary when Johnson was trying to knock trots head off and following it up with a verbal volley after almost every ball!

Indeed, and this can't have helped him. I reckon this series is going to get increasingly "competitive", there's a real danger of it becoming a war zone. The Aussies have clearly decided to attack on every available front and with scant regard for the niceties or behavioural conventions of the game. Do we get sucked into this and fight fire with fire or do we try to retain a degree of professionalism and integrity?

 

[Twinkle Toes]

Warners comments were out of order because they were out of the context of the match in the after play press conference. England players give out just as much as the Aussies on the field (especially on the last tour here) but I can't remember them ever having a pop in a post match press conference. Warner is basically an out back hill billy w*nker who happens to be able to swing a bit of willow pretty well.

Let's hope that Warner's cruel comments about Trott motivates the England side to take the fight to the Aussies now & shut the hick tosser (& the rest of 'em) right up.

 

[sydney]

Indeed, and this can't have helped him. I reckon this series is going to get increasingly "competitive", there's a real danger of it becoming a war zone. The Aussies have clearly decided to attack on every available front and with scant regard for the niceties or behavioural conventions of the game. Do we get sucked into this and fight fire with fire or do we try to retain a degree of professionalism and integrity?

the aussies won't give a shit about integrity......if they win the ashes they will be "FOAMING".........they are worse winners than loosers.....at just about everything.

 

[Chicken Runner61]

What I don't get is that sledging and fast bowling is nothing new, being scared of being hurt by a ball works both ways and if someone was trying to break my bones by hitting me with the ball I'd make sure i bowled or hit him first with a faster one!

From what I have seen its been poor placement of shots and poor defence by our batting thats given the Aussies the upper hand. If Trotts depression is more than about the way that he's playing then it was a decision that had to be taken and lets hope he resolves it soon.

If any other player is worrying about getting hit then can they put some protection on and take a few hits and give a few back to get the Aussies back under the thumb please!

 

[Pavilionaire]

I don't have any problem with the Aussie comments to Trott et al. This is The Ashes, it goes with the territory and when they overstep the mark they get fined. We all know the fines are not a deterrent but things are said in the heat of battle.

As for Trott, I feel sorry for him on one level, but there's part of me that can't help thinking he's left England in the lurch. Two Ashes series in one calendar year is a big ask on anyone, his form coming into this series was already poor, he himself could have foreseen problems. The squad we've picked clearly didn't factor in any "what if" scenario because the sub batting we've brought was aimed at that problem No. 6 position rather than 3/4/5.

This is the second time this has happened at the start of an Ashes series Down Under. Is there more the batting coaches could be doing? The top 6 are all experiencing problems, and while Johnson is a decent bowler he's been around a while and was shite on the last Ashes Tour, it's not as if he's Allan Donald or Michael Holding.

It's all very sad. Trott will never be the same player again.

 

[LamieRobertson]

Agreed but it's a pity he didn't mention it before he left the UK? Didn't Marcus Trescothick have a similar issue and it finished his international career?

If you read Flowers comments on the issue it was known before they left UK...If uve watched Trotts batting over the last few years u will see some of his routines around the crease that Agnes is linking to his current problems

 

[Kalimantan Gull]

Wow, what is it with cricket and depression - Trescothick, Yardy, David Bairstow, now Trott. I'm sure there must be examples in other sports, but I can't say I've heard of any other sportsman having to pull out of top-level games for this reason.

 

[LamieRobertson]

I don't have any problem with the Aussie comments to Trott et al. This is The Ashes, it goes with the territory and when they overstep the mark they get fined. We all know the fines are not a deterrent but things are said in the heat of battle.

As for Trott, I feel sorry for him on one level, but there's part of me that can't help thinking he's left England in the lurch. Two Ashes series in one calendar year is a big ask on anyone, his form coming into this series was already poor, he himself could have foreseen problems. The squad we've picked clearly didn't factor in any "what if" scenario because the sub batting we've brought was aimed at that problem No. 6 position rather than 3/4/5.

This is the second time this has happened at the start of an Ashes series Down Under. Is there more the batting coaches could be doing? The top 6 are all experiencing problems, and while Johnson is a decent bowler he's been around a while and was shite on the last Ashes Tour, it's not as if he's Allan Donald or Michael Holding.

It's all very sad. Trott will never be the same player again.

I would have thought long and hard over leaving the tour..it's going to be a long way back for him

As regards to the oopposition it's interesting to see Earners com out an apologised.. I wonder how genuine that is

 

[Publius Ovidius]

If you read Flowers comments on the issue it was known before they left UK...If uve watched Trotts batting over the last few years u will see some of his routines around the crease that Agnes is linking to his current problems

I don't buy that one. Every player has a way of concentrating and trott's way was to remark his guard....what about chanderpaul? He has some bizarre things he does before every ball. I used to play a ball wander away and then tap my bat about 5 yards away on my leg side. I found it useful for concentration...I also think Vaughan used to do the same.

I feel really sorry for trott as with trescothick, England have lost a real talent and on his day one of the finest number 3 we have had.

With regards to sledging, it even happens in East Sussex league division 12 and our game with hails ham almost ended in a mass brawl seemly, Nd we are only playing it for fun. The Aussies want to win...they felt badly done to in England with some understanding as they got some shocking decisions, therefore they get I our faces....that is test cricket...man up I say and give it back just as hard.

 

[El Presidente]

As for Trott, I feel sorry for him on one level, but there's part of me that can't help thinking he's left England in the lurch.

Out of interest, if he had gone home with Crohn's Disease, (as suffered by Darren Fletcher at United) or something similar, would you have said he'd left England in the lurch?

Mental illness is as debilitating as a physical one, attitudes to it are however completely different. I've just heard Kieswetter saying that Trott wasn't the 'type you'd expect to suffer from this', which is revealing, as is there is still a belief that it only affects what we perceive to be weak-minded individuals, whereas in reality it can strike down anyone, just as cancer can.

 

[Kumquat]

Shift Root/Bell to 3 & play Ballance/Bairstow at 6.

Agree with this. would have Bell at 3 and bring Ballance in at 6. Although he hasn't got the scores in the tour matche, he's quality and bats with confidence and pace.

All the best to Trott. Depression is a nasty piece of work, it really is.

 

[Razzoo]

Good luck to Trott, he's a big man to admit he has a problem and I wish him well.

 

[Kumquat]

Let's hope that Warner's cruel comments about Trott motivates the England side to take the fight to the Aussies now & shut the hick tosser (& the rest of 'em) right up.

To be fair, Vaughan made similar comments and both he and Warner have since apologised. Personally I don't have any problems with Warner's comments this time round given he was unaware of Trott's problems. I was more surprised by Cook's response about it being disrespectful and that it was ok on the pitch but not off it. In light of what has happened it now makes sense.

 

[El Presidente]

All the best to Trott. David Warner is a nasty piece of work, he really is.

Edited for accuracy.