Hurray for more selection woes.
As if the injuries to a handful of key players wasn’t enough, Fletcher et al now have to contend with Trescothick pulling out of the Champions Trophy. On the face of it, it doesn’t seem like a big deal, because the Champions Trophy is a waste of space, and the result will be mostly marginal compared with the tournament that follows it - The Ashes. What is most worrying about Tresco’s withdrawal is the frighteningly Graham Thorpe-esque nature surrounding it. Trescothick has previously provoked public criticism by returning early from the India tour with “undisclosed medical concerns”. Several statements are floating around about the most recent emergence, ranging from a return of the gastrointestinal disorder (from India) to a further stress-related illness. Sounds to me like he’s got the trots and he’s pretty unhappy about it. Let’s face it, white clothes, the trots and 90mph cricket balls really don’t mix. Other rumours suggest that his wife is suffering from chronic post-natal depression and he wants to be there for her.
Whatever the reason for his withdrawal, I think he is entitled to his privacy. Typically, there have been calls for him to make a public statement, to stop being so secretive and to generally let everyone know what’s going on. I disagree. That philosophy was true of the ball-tampering scandal, but when it comes to personal issues - everyone deserves the right to keep some things to themselves. Especially if it’s because of depression or chronic diarrhea.
No, the real question is whether Trescothick should continue to be considered for England selection in the future. We don’t need another Graham Thorpe saga, the team is a bad enough state as it is without further uncertainty. The key question is that if he feels he’s unfit to travel to India for the Champions Trophy, is it possible for him to be fit for The Ashes, which commences shortly after? If it’s really serious, then my guess would be no. If it’s not that serious, then he shouldn’t be making himself unavailable for India full stop, and you would then begin to question his commitment to the team.
Despite his recent lack of runs in either form of the game, Trescothick should still feature in the team. He is a prolific run-scorer who is going through a lull - a lot, if not all, batsmen experience them from time to time - a bit of time off might be what he needs to get through it. His experience and presence in the team will be vital, if England are to succeed in Austalia this Winter. Let’s show the guy a bit of compassion and respect his privacy. We still need him.
Tags: Australia, England, injury, marcus-trescothick, The-AshesRelated Stories
POSTED IN: Cricket
1 opinion for Hurray for more selection woes.
SixandOut.net - an International Cricket blog » Two games left, series lost
Sep 8, 2006 at 9:51 am
[…] The biggest controversy seems to be over the selection of Marcus Trescothick who recently ruled himself out of the ICC Champions Trophy. The team won’t be announced until shortly before the start of play but it poses an interesting conundrum for the selectors - on the one hand, he’s still one of the best players in the country and any team would be lucky to have him in, on the other if he’s said he’s not fit for India, then how can he be fit now? As far as I was aware it is a medical impossibility to predict that you will be ill at a specified time in the future. Maybe not. Either way, not selecting him would allow the selection of and practice for someone else - possibly Alastair Cook (already established in the Test side) or someone like Ed Joyce, who’s looked in good one day form all season. […]
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