Trescothick

Taunton: Former Test batsman Marcus Trescothick says he’s “desperate” to resume his England cricket career — providing he is fully recovered from the stress illness that caused him to quit two tours.

After undergoing counselling and taking medication to treat his anxiety attacks, Trescothick returned on Sunday to hit 256 runs off 117 balls in English county side Somerset’s 216-run win over Devon in a limited-overs match.

It was the first match for the 31-year-old since he quit the Ashes tour due to stress in November after only a week in Australia.

The same problem curtailed his tour of India in February 2006 and prompted him to sit out the Champions Trophy and World Cup.

“Of course I am desperate to play for England again, but it wouldn’t be fair to anyone if I attempted to do so again without being doubly certain that I could complete an overseas tour, as well take part in games over here,” Trescothick told the Somerset website on Wednesday.

“I wouldn’t have gone to Australia if I hadn’t felt convinced in my own mind that I could handle an Ashes series there,” he said.

“Now I know that feeling was wrong. I am sure I will reach a stage when I am fully recovered, but I will not put pressure on myself by predicting when that will be.”

England has missed Trescothick in the West Indies while contesting the World Cup.

One of England’s most reliable batsman, the opener has played 123 one-day matches, scoring 12 centuries with an average of 37.37. He’s played 76 Tests, with 14 centuries and has a 43.79 average.

Trescothick said he’d watched England play in the Ashes, the subsequent ODI tri-series and the World Cup on television.

“I really wished I could be out there helping the team, but knew deep down that I needed to be at home,” he said.

“International cricket has always been what I want to be part of and that certainly hasn’t changed. I believe I will play for England again, but only when the time is right for all concerned.”

Trescothick said he did not know the cause of his illness, and has been told it could stem from his school days. He said that in Australia he began worrying “about the smallest things, some to do with cricket, some not.”

“Then I began to have trouble sleeping, so I would wake up tired and that made it harder to cope.”

He said he now felt refreshed. “There was a time when I felt too frightened to talk about what was happening to me because I didn’t understand it, and that is why I haven’t done so.

“At the moment, my whole focus is on starting the season well with Somerset and making a lot of runs in county cricket.”