Trescothick explains illness
Trescothick has not played for Englnad in over 18 months
Sunday, 02, Sep 2007 12:14
England opener Marcus Trescothick has openly talked about the illness that has plagued his confidence since leaving the team's tour to India in February 2006.
The Somerset batsman said he initially did not know what it was that was affecting him adding that there was nobody around him that could explain it either.
He told Scotland on Sunday: "When it first kicked off it was like: 'What is going on, I haven't got a clue where I am and what I am doing'.
"No one knew what was going on. I did not understand it. People were telling me things and I was like 'no, there is nothing wrong, I just get a bit worried now and then'.
"I couldn't express it to people, so I was scared to say anything about it."
But Trescothick claims that his condition is not a mental illness and says people are wrong to refer to his problem as a 'stress-related illness'.
He claims that it caused by the combination of playing and training at a high intensity while being away from home for long periods.
Trescothick was forced to miss the series against Pakistan in 2006 and then the Ashes tour to Australia as he tried to get his career back on track.
He has been in good form for Somerset this season, averaging 67.06 in 12 first class matches, but he says he will only return to the international arena if he is 100 per cent confident that he is not jeopardising his health by doing so.
"I haven't got anything to prove. I watch it on TV now and think, 'Just give me that chance again', but I'm not going to do it until in my mind I am 100 per cent and I have to be certain," he concluded.