It's a tough life....

Jonathan Trott is (or might be "was") one of England's best top order batsmen. He's played cricket since childhood and has amassed thousands of first class runs. In other words he knows how to hold a cricket bat - until he went to Australia on the recent Ashes Tour and got absolutely mauled by Mitchell Johnson, the Ozzie fast bowler. Trott was like a cat on a hot tin at the crease as he got peppered by short ball after short ball - at 90+ mph. For those non cricketers out there - there are more pleasant things to do on a sunny Saturday afternoon!

So the English team are getting pummelled, and then all of a sudden Trott packs up his bags and heads off home citing "anxiety" related issues. Later he himself described it as "burn-out" due to England's "punishing" schedule. Now let's back up a minute - even I know that "burn-out" is not the same as having an anxiety disorder.

Trott suffered "burn out" doing what he loves on a field in the sun as part of team supported by the English Cricket Board, one of the richest cricketing bodies on the planet. Jeepers - imagine if he did my job; it would have been straight off to Valkenberg to join Shrien (It would have been all the numbers that would have got to him in the end!)

Roll forward to today and Trott plays one game of County cricket and then pulls out of that as well. Apparently the same "anxiety" related issues that appeared in Australia have resurfaced. (Nothing to do with the fact that he got smacked around again by the short ball in this match - call me a cynic). Hmmm...sure it's not "burn-out" Jonathan? but it can't be because you haven't been doing anything since the Ashes tour except go on a refreshing family break?

I would have much more sympathy for Trott if he just came out and said precisely what his medical condition is - if indeed that's what he has. If it's as severe as he says it is, trust me - it has a name. But vague references to anxiety, stress, an "inability to concentrate fully at all times" (that's always going to be tough - if I tried that in my job my brain would explode) and illness (often used interchangeably) doesn't work for me.

Sorry Jonathan, but I think you have discovered a major flaw in your technique and instead of owning up to it as the reason for your poor performances (because of your fear that your livelihood will be put in jeopardy) you have tried to explain it away by using symptoms that no one will dare question (well Michael Vaughn did - then your feelings got hurt and he retracted his opinion..hmmmm)

Out

PS: Trott irritates me anyway; he is South African born went to one of the finest schools in the Western Cape, and then came to the UK. That's all fine but what pissed me off was the disparaging comments he made about South Africa when he went back on holiday - almost as if he was disowning the very nation that he took so much from.