Brian Halford sat down with Bears legend Jonathan Trott to look back at his special 15 years with the club.
Jonathan Trott admits that he is “really proud” of his long Warwickshire career which will come to an end with the Specsavers County Championship match against Kent at Edgbaston, starting tomorrow.
Fifteen years after launching his Bears career with a debut century against Sussex, Trott will play his 281st and last first-class match, having announced earlier this year that he will retire after this season.
I wanted to make Warwickshire my home and settle here in Birmingham and I achieved that and am very grateful for that.
Jonathan Trott
He will finish having played 52 Tests for England which yielded an impressive average of 44.08. Trott’s skills and resolve as a batsman will long be recalled with the warmest affection by England’s supporters, but the fondest farewell for him will be, of course, from all at Edgbaston.
Emotions are sure to run high when the 37-year-old pads up for the final time this week.
“To have been able to play cricket professionally for the length of time I have is something special and I feel very fortunate,” he said.
“I always wanted to play for Warwickshire, even since I was a boy, so to have fulfilled that is very special. When I joined the Bears I really wanted to buy into the club. I wanted to make Warwickshire my home and settle here in Birmingham and I achieved that and am very grateful for that.
“I have never really played the game for stats but, looking back, the amount of years I have spent at the club and the amount of games I have played has been very rewarding and I am really proud of that. It has been brilliant to have spent so much time amongst some fantastic coaches and players and make some lifelong friends – and be part of a team which has won championships and one-day trophies.”
Trott is sure to receive a heartfelt send-off this week, both from the squad of which he has been such a big part for so long and from the supporters to whom he has given such pleasure – and who have backed him all the way.
“I have always had great backing from the Bears fans which I have always really appreciated,” he said. “They are very clued up on the game and watch a lot of cricket and I have got a lot of respect for that. It takes quite a lot of dedication to come and watch championship cricket in the cold in April and September and they give the Bears great support.
“I have always appreciated that. There have been times when things haven’t gone our way and the fans get a little bit upset but I’d like to think that I have given them, and been part of a team that has given them, some highs as well.”
Trott would love to finish off with one more high this week, helping the Bears to victory over Kent. Then…well, his future plans are still to be finalised – but he is very comfortable with that.
“I’m very happy with my decision to retire and am just looking forward to whatever comes next,” he said.
“I think you know when the time is right. The spark that you need to play cricket day in and day out is probably not there for me and if it’s not there anymore it’s better to move over and let somebody else have a crack.
“It’s not so much the ending that I am looking forward to but the start of new challenges to come outside cricket. I have a few possible things lined up so we’ll see what happens, but I won’t be going far. I love Edgbaston and I love Birmingham and hopefully it will be my home forever.”
