Trott: I had a drink problem
ENGLAND batsman Jonathan Trott has revealed that his staggering accomplishments of the last two years would never have happened had he succumbed to the alcohol problem that threatened to derail his career.
The South African-born batsman has been a revelation since making a century on debut in the deciding Test of the 2009 Ashes series. Trott has scored a staggering 1,867 runs in the space of just 21 matches and has forged a reputation as one of the most dependable and obdurate batsmen on the Test circuit.
And the Warwickshire star, 30, believes the success of the last two years represent just reward for a reformed and more mature attitude.
He said: “I used to go nuts and it affected the image people had of me. It used to cloud my judgment, not just that night, but for days afterwards.
“I still have the occasional beer or glass of wine but, when it comes to nights out, you probably won’t find me around them.
“It can be quite tough but the guys in the team understand. In the past I’d have been at the front of the queue [for a drink)]. But I honestly don’t think I’d be sitting here today if I did still drink.”
Trott’s performances will go a long way to determining the outcome of the upcoming Test series against world No 1 ranked side India, which starts next week at Lord’s.
But for now India’s former England coach, Duncan Fletcher, believes exploiting captain Andrew Strauss’s current run of poor form will hand his side a psychological edge. Strauss will turn out for Somerset today against the tourists and Fletcher said: “If Strauss gets out early, there is chance we will have something over him but our bowlers will be confident even if he does score runs.
“There are other batsmen in the England team who we have to look at, and it’s something for Straussy to think about. If he feels he has a problem with it, it’s more of a concern for him than it is for us.”