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Trescothick Knows He Is Not Ready

Marcus Trescothick31-year old Trescothick insists he is not yet ready to make himself available for England, the good news is that he firmly believes that day is coming closer.  He is adamant that he must not rush back, for the risks to his health of another setback are simply too great to ignore.

‘Of course I’d love to be playing for England again and watching them this summer has sometimes been painful for me,’ he said. 

‘I’ve seen every Test on TV and it’s been ‘God, I miss this, I miss this a lot.’  When the first Test started at Lord’s I was very twitchy.  It was so tough because I felt so desperate to get back into it.

‘If you had asked me the day before that match: 'Could you play here?' I'd have said Yes. But just because I wanted to do it, didn't make it the right thing to do. It's hard. I'm not stupid. I'm 31, coming up to 32 on Christmas Day and I've got to be realistic. Thirty-two is no age to finish an international career.

‘Of course I want to get back in the side as soon as possible, because of the timescale. But I mustn't start to worry about it. I understand the big dilemma: can the selectors take the risk of picking me to go abroad on tour? Can they invest in me after what has happened?

‘Clearly, if I want to continue my career I have to undertake another tour. But for now, if and when I get back to full fitness and I think I am OK and ready to play, I'll make myself available for England. If they don't pick me, that is just tough.

‘I'm not giving up hope. I have great memories of my time playing for England, of making hundreds, of winning the Ashes. The feeling of being able to perform in those situations is what spurs me on to get back into it.’

Moores Backs Flintoff

England coach Peter Moores insists Flintoff’s third ankle surgery, performed earlier this month, has proved effective and he expects the Lancashire all-rounder back later this summer.

‘The first challenge is to get Andrew back playing again,’ updates Moores.  ‘Things are going well with his ankle.

‘The surgeon is confident that when Andrew’s back – the ankle will be fully functional again.’

‘I’m very excited about getting Andrew back in the team because of the way he plays his cricket.’

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