The England career of Marcus Trescothick is in greater doubt than ever after he pulled out of all international commitments this winter, only two weeks after offering his name for the ICC World Twenty20 tournament in South Africa. If the selectors are consistent, he will not be considered until the close season of 2008-09.

Trescothick, 31, who has refused to set a date for a return, told England that he is not ready for a full recall, despite making good progress with the stress-related illness that has forced him to come home early from tours to India and Australia over the past 17 months.

Although he said that he had agreed to be named in the initial squad of 30 for the 20-over competition in September merely to keep his options open, the announcement yesterday can only be interpreted as a significant setback for the future of a player who, if mentally able, would walk back into the Test and one-day teams.

On July 11, when he was included in the 30 for South Africa, he said: “If I continue the progress I have made this summer then I will be very hopeful of taking part.” He admitted yesterday, however, that “I sort of knew after selection that I was not quite ready for it yet”.

An understanding that Trescothick should not be chosen for a home Test match or one-day international until he has demonstrated an ability to complete a tour means that, barring a rethink, he will not be in contention until the trip to India in November next year. For his part, Trescothick would find it easier to return in this country.

The fact that Hayley, his wife, is due to give birth in January played only a small part in his decision. “I would have been in England by then anyway,” he said. “I do not want to be in a position of picking and choosing where and when I want to play for England because that would disrupt their schedule.

“I need to ensure that I am completely ready for a return to international cricket before making myself available. It was both a relief and a disappointment to make the decision.

For a while you feed off the buzz of thinking you will be back, but you go through different emotions in the days afterwards.”

David Graveney, the chairman of selectors, and Brian Rose, the Somerset director of cricket, offered a positive slant. Graveney said: “It would be counter-productive to rush Marcus back into international action before he is ready. We appreciate the fact that Marcus has alerted us at the earliest opportunity of his decision.”

Rose, a former England player, was the more effusive, saying that Trescothick has made “terrific” progress this summer. “He is relatively young for an international batsman and we believe he has many more years playing at club and international level,” Rose said. “His longer-term future is our primary concern.”

In the modern game, with its choking schedule, Trescothick has spent a lengthy period on the sidelines. Evidence is accumulating that England are starting to build towards the 2009 Ashes. In that context it is impossible to plan with Trescothick, whose initial selection and departure proved disruptive last winter.

Despite some big scores for Somerset this season, including a career-best 284 against Northamptonshire, he has suffered from physical injury, recently straining a quad muscle that forced him to miss the LV County Championship match against Essex that finished on Monday. Yesterday, he was out for 18 against Derbyshire.

There will continue to be enormous sympathy and good wishes towards a player who has scored more than 10,000 runs in international cricket, including an England record of 12 one-day hundreds, and he was desperately missed in the World Cup in the Caribbean in March and April.