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England players past and present expressed shock and offered support after batsman Jonathan Trott’s withdrawal from the Ashes tour of Australia on Monday due to a stress-related illness.
The surprise departure, which echoes a situation involving Marcus Trescothick in 2006-07, comes after Trott’s disappointing scores of 10 and nine in England’s 381-run first-Test defeat in Brisbane.
England allrounder Stuart Broad pledged support for Trott on Twitter, writing: “Love Trotty. Absolute champion of a man. He knows he has all the support of all the people around him. Puts cricket in perspective.”
Former England captain Nasser Hussain said the news had come as a real shock, while ex-skipper Michael Vaughan expressed regret for questioning Trott’s performances in the media.
“I do feel guilty for criticising Trott this week… I wasn’t to know what he was going through and I can only comment on what I see,” Vaughan wrote on Twitter.
Former England opener Trescothick, who left the 2006-07 Ashes tour and was finally forced to quit international cricket because of depression, called it sad news.
“To come out and talk about these things for the first time is tough. I’m sure he’s not feeling great at all, but he’s definitely made the right decision,” Trescothick told BBC radio.
Former England allrounder and captain Andrew Flintoff tweeted: “Trotty will be back. Over the hardest hurdle in his recovery by facing it head on, which is something we are not all able to do.”
Australian coach Darren Lehmann also voiced support for Trott on Twitter.
“I wish Johnathon Trott a speedy recovery from a tough situation, a safe flight home to be with family!”
The chief executive of the Professional Cricketers’ Association, which represents players in England and Wales, said Trott’s exit was not necessarily linked to criticism of his performances.
“This problem wasn’t caused by an Aussie player sledging Jonathan on the pitch, or indeed by anything that was said in a press conference,” said Angus Porter.
“This is a serious illness relating probably to chemical imbalances in the brain.”
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