Jonathan Trott 'in great shape and hungry to return' as comeback date is set

England batsman to face Gloucestershire on April 1

AP Photo/Scott Heppell

6 March 2014

Jonathan Trott is due to play his first cricket match since returning early from the Ashes last winter when Warwickshire take on Gloucestershire in a pre-season fixture starting on April 1.

The batsman is recovering well from the stress-related illness that forced him to leave the tour of Australia after the First Test in Brisbane, and his county are confident he will be able to start the new first-class season with them.

The plan is for Trott to play the two-day game against Gloucestershire, at Edgbaston, before he features in the three-day match against Oxford University at The Parks from April 7-9. Warwickshire’s opening game of the Championship season is against Sussex, starting at Edgbaston on April 13.

Trott is believed to be in Cape Town at the moment, where he is building fitness ahead of the new campaign, while his Warwickshire team-mates are on a pre-season tour of Barbados. There were never any plans for Trott, 32, to be part of that tour.

England’s summer cricket begins with a one-day international against Scotland in Aberdeen on May 9. While Trott must score early-season runs to be in contention for a place in that squad, his coach at Edgbaston, Dougie Brown, is confident he will return to the international fold sooner rather than later.

“Everyone at Edgbaston will be thrilled to see Jonathan return to training after the Club’s pre-season tour of Barbados, and take to the field at Edgbaston in the 2014 season,” said Brown.

“Having met recently, he looks in great shape and is certainly hungry to score plenty of runs for Warwickshire. He’s been a crucial member of the England set up for nearly five years and I am certain that he will be back as England's number 3 in the near future.”

Trott met Paul Downton, the new managing director of England cricket, three weeks ago to discuss his future in the Test and limited-overs teams. As Standard Sport reported last month, Trott has been optimistic for some time about his prospects of starting the new season with Warwickshire, and his county have now confirmed they expect him to play a full role in the first part of their season.

Trott said: “I’ve been overwhelmed with the kind messages of support from players, coaches and fans over the last few months, and I’m really looking forward to joining up with Warwickshire ahead of the new season.

“We’ve got a strong squad that’s capable of challenging for trophies in all competitions, and I’m determined to play a big role and hopefully contribute to more success for the Bears in 2014 and beyond.”

The Test in Brisbane, after which Trott left the tour, was his 49th. At the time, many believed it would be Trott’s last, but if he starts the season well at Championship level and convinces the selectors he is ready to return, there is surely a chance he will be involved in international cricket this summer.

Trott made his Test debut for England in 2009, scoring a decisive century in the final Ashes Test that summer that helped Andrew Strauss’ team regained the urn. Thereafter, he quickly established himself as one of the most reliable number three batsmen in world cricket and became a key member of the team who rose to the top of the world Test rankings in 2011.

Trott has been similarly strong in 50-over cricket, a format in which he averages 51, and he performed very well last summer as England reached the final of the Champions Trophy on home soil, only to lose to India. He was named the International Cricket Council’s player of the year in 2011.

MORE ABOUT

Ashes Series

Jonathan Trott 'in great shape and hungry to return' as comeback date is set

Read More