Jonathan Trott Reveals Overcoming Drinking Problem

Jonathan Trott is perhaps one England cricketer not associated with the image of being controlled by alcohol and for good reason.

Jonathan Trott

Jonathan Trott made a late breakthrough into the England cricket team. That was because he originally harboured ambitions of making the South African cricket team before he realized that the possibility of that happening was remote enough for him to contemplate moving to England, setting up base and then, qualifying to play for England. His cricket dreams were realized when he was drafted in for the final Test of the Ashes 2009 in which he made a memorable Test debut century to seal the deal for England. Instantly Trott had become the toast of the town, only he was not going to drink himself silly.

Trott revealed to a cricket magazine how alcohol abuse or drinking problem had affected his life and he realized he had to take stock before it got out of hand. Call it intolerance for alcohol or abuse, either way, Trott talked about how drinking had begun to affect his thinking and how he led his life following a night of heavy drinking.

Cricketers suffering from alcohol abuse is not as much a rarity although few have dared to come out openly and deal with it. Andrew Symonds had a famous fall out with Cricket Australia after his drinking was becoming a problem. Although Symonds insisted he was not an alcoholic, his behavioural problems with the team and the management resulted in him eventually losing his contract with Cricket Australia. Another fellow England cricketer, former all rounder, Andrew Flintoff, became infamous for the pedalo incident that did not paint England in a good light although Flintoff and his association with drink was never followed by similar incidents although reference was made to Flintoff's preference for the Australian dressing room being a better place for drinking companions. Herschelle Gibbs also touched upon alcohol abuse although by that time, his cricket career for South Africa was considered beyond reproach.

Trott is now comfortable enough to reveal that while he no longer shies away from a drink, he would not be seen on a late night binge because he certainly does not want his life to be affected by the ill effects of alcohol abuse.

It seems England cricket is going through a phase where cricketers are getting bolder talking about their problems. Marcus Trescothick hid behind the notion that he left the India tour due to a stomach ailment as a result of Indian food for years before coming clean that he was suffering from depression and that affected his ability to stay for long lengths with the team or travel on tour, bringing the curtains down on his cricket career. Recently Michael Yardy revealed his battle with depression, taking time away from the England cricket team and even earning some unfair and rather harsh criticism from former England opener turned commentator, Sir Geoffrey Boycott. On a tangent, wicketkeeper Steve Davies even came out to state that he was gay and proud of his sexuality while James Anderson is comfortable enough in his own sexuality to pose nude for a gay magazine despite being positively heterosexual, being married with two kids.

As role models for the youth to aspire to play the game someday, that the heroes are also mortals may come as a brutal shock. But the fact that they are able to talk about overcoming the habits that affect his lives, they serve also as a great example that there is a silver lining to every cloud and that people need not be stuck in lifestyles that are ultimately detrimental for them.