Trott out of Ashes tour with stress illness

SYDNEY: England’s Jonathan Trott has left the Ashes tour of Australia with a "stress-related illness", officials said Monday, after he was targeted during their huge defeat in a spiteful first Test.

The shock departure, which echoes a situation involving Marcus Trescothick in 2006-2007, comes after Trott made disappointing scores of 10 and nine in the game in Brisbane which England lost by 381 runs.

Trott’s play was blasted as "poor and weak" by Australias David Warner during a bad-tempered game, which also saw home captain Michael Clarke fined for warning tail-end batsman James Anderson to "get ready for a broken (expletive)arm".

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) said Trott, 32, would take an indefinite break from cricket and would not be returning to the five-Test tour.

"Jonathan Trott has returned from England’s current tour of Australia with a stress-related illness," an ECB tweet said. "Trott will take a break from cricket for the foreseeable future and will take no further part in the tour... Trott’s return to cricket will be determined in due course."

Trott has been a stalwart of the England team, accumulating 3,763 runs at an average of 46.45 in his 49 Tests, but he was dismissed tamely in both innings by fiery paceman Mitchell Johnson.

In brief comments released by the ECB, Trott did not give any details but said he could not play on in his current condition.

"I don’t feel its right that I’m playing knowing that I’m not 100 percent. I cannot currently operate at the level I have done in the past," he said. "My priority now is to take a break from cricket so that I can focus on my recovery."

Trott’s departure adds to dramatic fall-out from the first Test after Australias Clarke was fined 20 percent of his match fee for his barb at Anderson. (AFP)