- Video
-
Club Roar
Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? We want to see it!Content Collections
The Roar Community
- Join
- Login
England batsman Marcus Trescothick retired from international cricket today, blaming a long-term stress-related illness that made travelling overseas difficult.
The 32-year-old left-hander made his decision a week after withdrawing from a preseason tour to Dubai with his county cricket club Somerset after checking in his luggage. It was to be the England opener’s first overseas trip since flying home early from the Ashes tour in Australia in November 2006.
“I have tried on numerous occasions to make it back to the international stage and it has proved a lot more difficult than I expected,” Trescothick told the Somerset website.
“I want to extend my playing career for as long as possible and I no longer want to put myself through the questions and demands that go with trying to return to the England team.”
Trescothick’s 76th and final Test was against Pakistan at the Oval in August 2006. His last one-day international, his 123rd, was also against Pakistan, at Southampton a month later.
“It has been a great privilege to represent my country and I am grateful to the game of cricket for giving me the opportunity to excel at a sport that I enjoy so much,” Trescothick said.
Trescothick said he would continue to play for Somerset as “my desire to play cricket is as strong as ever.” He said travelling overseas had become “extremely stressful for me.”
“I now think that it is in the best interests of all concerned that the issue is put to rest so that the England team can concentrate on moving forward, and I can concentrate my efforts on playing well for Somerset.”
Trescothick made his Test debut in 2000 against West Indies in Manchester. He was part of England’s Ashes-winning team of 2005, which earned him the Wisden cricketer of the year award and the royal honour MBE, or Member of the Order of the British Empire.
Playing as an opener, Trescothick finished with a test average of 43.79 and a highest score of 219, against South Africa in September 2003. He averaged 37.37 in one-day internationals.
Trescothick’s stress-related illness first emerged in February 2006 when he returned to England early from a tour of India and he missed the subsequent Champions Trophy tournament. He was included in the preliminary squad for the Twenty20 World Cup in South Africa last September but did not make the cut.
In April 2007, Trescothick told the Somerset website that he did not know the cause of his illness, and had been told it could stem from his school days. He said in Australia he began worrying “about the smallest things, some to do with cricket, some not.”
“Then I began to have trouble sleeping,” he said. “So I would wake up tired and that made it harder to cope.”
The head of English cricket, Hugh Morris, thanked Trescothick for the “enormous contribution” he had made to the national team.
“I fully respect and understand his decision to retire from international cricket,” Morris said. “And wish him every success in his future career with Somerset.”
Build your own fantasy cricket team and put it to the test with Draftstars daily fantasy competitions. Pick your match, pick your team and watch the points roll in to take out cash prizes on each match. What are you really gambling with? Set a deposit limit.