| Player: | ME Trescothick |
| Event: | Australia in British Isles 2009 |
Marcus Trescothick poured cold water over his chances of making a dramatic return for England in the decisive fifth Test against Australia next week after the batsman suffered a nightmare caused by the prospect of featuring at The Oval.
Somerset opener Trescothick, who quit Test cricket in 2006 after battling a stress-related illness, had been tipped as a potential call-up for the final match of the series as England go for the victory that would regain the Ashes.
But the 33-year-old believes it would be wrong to return and a traumatic dream convinced him to stay away from the international scene.
He told a leading English newspaper: "Of course I thought hard about it. But there will be no England comeback for me in the final Ashes Test of this gripping series.
"It has been very flattering to see my name mentioned in so many circles since Australia's crushing win at Headingley and I'd be a liar if I said the prospect of playing at The Oval hadn't occupied my mind a lot.
"In fact, that has been the case to such an extent that the other day I woke up at 6.30am from a terrible dream.
"There is a nightmare a lot of cricketers experience that they can't get their pads on when they are due in to bat.
"My dream was a variation of that. I couldn't get my England kit out of my bag! The other players were waiting for me on the pitch to do a team photo so I was in a right panic. I woke up in a cold sweat.
"Perhaps that told me something. It gives me a massive kick that I am still thought good enough to come back and play at international level, but I've gone too far down the line in battling my stress problems to change my mind about now ending my England career."
Trescothick was initially tempted by the prospect of a one-off return to the Test scene and discussed the option with wife Hayley before concluding he did not have the necessary hunger for the occasion.
His last England cap came against Pakistan in 2006 and he then flew home ahead of the Ashes series in Australia a few months later because of his stress-related illness.
In 76 Tests, Trescothick scored 5,825 runs at an average of 43.79, but he announced his retirement from international cricket in March 2008 and looks certain to spend the rest of his career playing at county level.