Trott out of Ashes with 'stress-related illness'

Sydney: England batsman Jonathan Trott has left the tour of Australia with a "stress-related illness", it was announced today, a day after the tourists suffered one of their biggest Ashes defeats.

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

"Jonathan Trott has returned from England's current tour of Australia with a stress-related illness," said a tweet from the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB).

"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 determined in due course."

Unusually poor form by the South African-born number three batsman was noticeable in Brisbane, with Australia's David Warner calling his first-innings dismissal "pretty poor and weak".

Trott has been a stalwart of the England team in recent years, averaging 46.45 in his 49 Test matches.

In brief comments released by the ECB, Trott did not give any details of his condition but said he could not play on "knowing that I'm not 100 percent".

"I don't feel it's 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."Former England opener Trescothick, who left the 2006-2007 Ashes tour and was finally forced to quit international cricket because of depression, called it "sad news".

"I suffer from depression and it is a horrible, lonely place... the man needs help and support...he is very brave," tweeted Trescothick.

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

Separately, Warner admitted he "probably went a little bit too far" with his comments which suggested Trott and other England batsmen were frightened by the fast bowling.

The remarks were slammed as "disrespectful" by England skipper Alastair Cook.

"I made those comments for a reason," Warner told reporters at Brisbane airport. "Look, yesterday, the bounce and pace got to them again.

"It is Ashes cricket. Probably went a little bit too far with the comments, but it's cricket and now it's in the back of their mind."

England coach Andy Flower said Trott's decision was not directly related to Warner, adding that he had been suffering the condition for some time.

But he also criticised the outspoken Warner, saying he had got the situation "horribly wrong".

"We've been on tour for a month and he (Trott) has had his ups and downs and it is not directly related," Flower said of Warner's insults.

"I will also say that players commenting about fellow professionals in the media is disrespectful and on this occasion he (Warner) has got that horribly wrong.

"We set different standards and one of the reasons we don't like comments in the media about opposition players is that we don't know what is going on in their dressing room or their private lives."

Australia have lost the last three Ashes series but they came out fired-up at Brisbane's Gabba ground, where they are unbeaten in 25 years.

Coach Darren Lehmann, who earlier urged fans to target England's Stuart Broad over an incident in the last Ashes series, has said he backed the tough tactics.

"I like them playing hard cricket. I like our boys being aggressive without crossing the line," he said.