England Under Stress

English opening batsman Marcus Trescothick has left the England camp on the eve of the Ashes campaign due to “stress related illness”. This is amazing and an unprecedented event in sporting circles and an interesting case study. Now most Aussies will have a joke and a laugh and would have sledged Trescothick mercilessly during the series. He played in the NSW game just concluded yesterday and failed with the bat, but I am sure the crowd would have given him some curry on the race down to the wicket.

Now putting this into context if you were suffering from such an illness (can we call it depression? Is that what it is?) and you had anywhere between 30 and 100 thousand people bagging you on a daily basis and compounded by you not being in the best of form, I think it’s a logical and brave decision to pack it in and go home. For the sake of the team, he would be useless and a liability and more importantly, you have to say is it worth it on a personal level? You’re stressed / depressed / fatigued and you continue to put yourself through it and in the background you’ll be aware the Selectors would be giving you a tap on the shoulder and yanking you out anyway if you don’t conquer the demons and perform. Essentially it’s a lose / lose situation to play, so it’s good that he made the right call.

But to the team itself, England is now in disarray. Trescothick averages 43 in tests and is despite this a very good batsman. Strauss his opening partner is good too, but they are talking of opening with Alastair Cook as a replacement… who? With Vaughn, Jones and now Trescothick out of the squad, England looks very paper thin. I am now envisioning England being put to the sword this summer… a whitewash wouldn’t surprise me and guess what. I am going to enjoy it mercilessly!