LONDON, April 19: Marcus Trescothick fears that leading international cricketers could suffer from ‘burn-out’ with the fixture calendar showing no signs of easing as the elite get ready for next year's World Cup in the Caribbean.

England vice-captain Trescothick returned home early from the recent tour of India after six years of virtual non-stop international cricket.

But initial sympathy for his withdrawal, for what the England management in India initially said were “family reasons” gave way to suspicion in some quarters when the opening batsman said, in a television interview earlier this month, that a virus had been the reason for his abrupt exit.

Trescothick, in the field Tuesday for Somerset's county championship opener against Gloucestershire at Bristol, said after stumps: “Burn-out has been talked about a lot in the last couple of weeks - it's been mentioned in Australia about the ICC's future tours programme.

“I think the authorities are aware, and that will obviously help the players then to overcome it.

“However, the left-handed opening batsman added he would have to take steps to monitor his own situation.

“Along with the England management and the Somerset people as well, it is something for us all to assess,” he said.

“I want to play as many games as I can - but there will come a time when you have to say 'I'm going to be rested this game'.“It's not always an easy thing to do, because you've geared yourself up for a long time to play international cricket - and you want to play as many games as you can,” Trescothick added ahead of next month's Lord's first Test against Sri Lanka.

But he admitted that absences such as his own, could create openings for newcomers such as Essex left-hander Alastair Cook who made a century on debut for England against India.

“It's great to get under way. I've had to sit at home for the last few weeks watching the boys on TV,” he said before saying of Cook: “To have that option where we can bring people in and they do well straight away is obviously great.

“But if I'm sitting at home watching him (Cook) I wouldn't be human if I didn't think 'I'm out of the team at the moment and I've got to try to get back in'.”

Meanwhile Trescothick was reluctant to shed further light on the reasons behind his departure from India.

“There have been external pressures – and there still will be for a couple of weeks,” he said. —AFP