• Former England paceman backs Michael Vaughan
• Trott targets one-day games in May for England return
Having dealt decisively, if divisively, with the long-running controversy surrounding Kevin Pietersen in this winter of discontent, the England management are now facing another over Jonathan Trott.
The Warwickshire batsman confirmed in an extended interview with Sky on Sunday night, his first since leaving the Ashes tour after the first Test in November because of a condition that was described as stress-related, that he wants to return to international cricket as soon as possible and has targeted the one-day fixtures against Scotland and Sri Lanka in May.
Michael Vaughan, the former England captain who was heavily critical of Trott's performance in Brisbane – and then apologetic when the reasons for his departure were explained – has questioned his right to return to the team.
"I feel a little bit conned we were told Jonathan Trott's problems in Australia were a stress-related illness he had suffered for years," Vaughan wrote in the Daily Telegraph. "We were allowed to believe he was struggling with a serious mental health issue and treated him with sensitivity and sympathy. He was obviously not in a great place but he was struggling for cricketing reasons and not mental, and there is a massive difference. There is a danger we are starting to use stress-related illness and depression too quickly as tags for players under pressure.
"I have no doubt he was going through hard times in Australia but as professional sportsmen playing in a high-profile, intense series such as the Ashes against good opposition you are going to endure stress when your form goes. It is part of the job.
"When I hear players talking about burnout, I suspect it is an excuse. You never see players retiring from sport and talking about burnout when they are playing well. It always seems to happen when you are struggling for form and not scoring runs. That is the stress of playing high-profile sport. You could argue that burnout is more of an issue when you are in form because then you spend longer at the crease under physical and mental duress. The really good players dig in their heels in tough times and come out the other side.
Vaughan added: "What Trott will have to accept is that players in his own dressing room and in the opposition will look at him and think at the toughest of times he did a runner. He did not fight and got on a plane and went home. It is harsh but that is the reality.
"It was wrong for him to brush it off and say England's match against Scotland in May would be a good time to return. Nobody has a given right to get back in the side. It is the England cricket team and he walked out. If he had stayed in Australia he would have been dropped. When a player is dropped he has to earn the right to get back in the side.
"He is a good batsman but England will want to see him score many runs for Warwickshire. I would let him play a full year for Warwickshire."
No one in the England setup has said anything along those lines and all the players were sympathetic and supportive when Trott flew home but whether that would extend to welcoming him straight back for this summer's fixtures must remain a moot point.
Matthew Hoggard, a former Yorkshire and England team-mate of Vaughan who has gone public since retirement with his own problems with depression, expressed his support. "Very interesting thoughts from Michael Vaughan on Jonathan Trott," Hoggard said. "As a whole I would have to agree with him. When Trott came back from Australia citing stress-related issues I think we all automatically thought of depression. Having first-hand experience of the horrible illness to hear Jonathan use the words nutcase and crazy is so disrespectful and coming from a guy that cited mental health issues as the reason he came home astonishing."
Commenting on Vaughan's Telegraph column, Angus Porter, the chief executive of the Professional Crickets' Association said: "The article highlights issues we have with a lack of understanding on mental illness. I'm not an expert and neither is Michael. Each individual case is different and it is wrong to simply try to put cases in convenient boxes.
"From what I was told, Jonathan's decision to return home was the correct one and it is wrong of people to condemn him for that decision. We wish Jonathan well and hope he makes a quick recovery."
The England squad have arrived in Bangladesh for the World Twenty20 and their captain, Stuart Broad, confirmed that he is unlikely to play in Tuesday's first warmup match against West Indies in Fatullah after having an injection in his knee.
Broad hopes to play on Wednesday against India and is confident of being fit to lead the team in their first serious match against New Zealand in Chittagong on Saturday.
"If it was a Test tour it might be more concerning but with only four overs per game I am pretty confident I will be able to play a full part in this World Cup," he said. Reported by guardian.co.uk 10 hours ago.
• Trott targets one-day games in May for England return
Having dealt decisively, if divisively, with the long-running controversy surrounding Kevin Pietersen in this winter of discontent, the England management are now facing another over Jonathan Trott.
The Warwickshire batsman confirmed in an extended interview with Sky on Sunday night, his first since leaving the Ashes tour after the first Test in November because of a condition that was described as stress-related, that he wants to return to international cricket as soon as possible and has targeted the one-day fixtures against Scotland and Sri Lanka in May.
Michael Vaughan, the former England captain who was heavily critical of Trott's performance in Brisbane – and then apologetic when the reasons for his departure were explained – has questioned his right to return to the team.
"I feel a little bit conned we were told Jonathan Trott's problems in Australia were a stress-related illness he had suffered for years," Vaughan wrote in the Daily Telegraph. "We were allowed to believe he was struggling with a serious mental health issue and treated him with sensitivity and sympathy. He was obviously not in a great place but he was struggling for cricketing reasons and not mental, and there is a massive difference. There is a danger we are starting to use stress-related illness and depression too quickly as tags for players under pressure.
"I have no doubt he was going through hard times in Australia but as professional sportsmen playing in a high-profile, intense series such as the Ashes against good opposition you are going to endure stress when your form goes. It is part of the job.
"When I hear players talking about burnout, I suspect it is an excuse. You never see players retiring from sport and talking about burnout when they are playing well. It always seems to happen when you are struggling for form and not scoring runs. That is the stress of playing high-profile sport. You could argue that burnout is more of an issue when you are in form because then you spend longer at the crease under physical and mental duress. The really good players dig in their heels in tough times and come out the other side.
Vaughan added: "What Trott will have to accept is that players in his own dressing room and in the opposition will look at him and think at the toughest of times he did a runner. He did not fight and got on a plane and went home. It is harsh but that is the reality.
"It was wrong for him to brush it off and say England's match against Scotland in May would be a good time to return. Nobody has a given right to get back in the side. It is the England cricket team and he walked out. If he had stayed in Australia he would have been dropped. When a player is dropped he has to earn the right to get back in the side.
"He is a good batsman but England will want to see him score many runs for Warwickshire. I would let him play a full year for Warwickshire."
No one in the England setup has said anything along those lines and all the players were sympathetic and supportive when Trott flew home but whether that would extend to welcoming him straight back for this summer's fixtures must remain a moot point.
Matthew Hoggard, a former Yorkshire and England team-mate of Vaughan who has gone public since retirement with his own problems with depression, expressed his support. "Very interesting thoughts from Michael Vaughan on Jonathan Trott," Hoggard said. "As a whole I would have to agree with him. When Trott came back from Australia citing stress-related issues I think we all automatically thought of depression. Having first-hand experience of the horrible illness to hear Jonathan use the words nutcase and crazy is so disrespectful and coming from a guy that cited mental health issues as the reason he came home astonishing."
Commenting on Vaughan's Telegraph column, Angus Porter, the chief executive of the Professional Crickets' Association said: "The article highlights issues we have with a lack of understanding on mental illness. I'm not an expert and neither is Michael. Each individual case is different and it is wrong to simply try to put cases in convenient boxes.
"From what I was told, Jonathan's decision to return home was the correct one and it is wrong of people to condemn him for that decision. We wish Jonathan well and hope he makes a quick recovery."
The England squad have arrived in Bangladesh for the World Twenty20 and their captain, Stuart Broad, confirmed that he is unlikely to play in Tuesday's first warmup match against West Indies in Fatullah after having an injection in his knee.
Broad hopes to play on Wednesday against India and is confident of being fit to lead the team in their first serious match against New Zealand in Chittagong on Saturday.
"If it was a Test tour it might be more concerning but with only four overs per game I am pretty confident I will be able to play a full part in this World Cup," he said. Reported by guardian.co.uk 10 hours ago.