MARCUS TRESCOTHICK has failed in his battle to overcome a stress-related illness that made coping with travel difficult and retired from international cricket. The former England opener pulled out of the tour of India in March 2006 and returned home from Australia in November of the same year.

“It is in the best interests of all concerned the issue is put to rest so the England team can concentrate on moving forward,” he said. Trescothick, 32, averaged 43.79 in scoring 5,825 runs in 76 Tests for England and played 123 one-day internationals.

England are looking into rearranging the way they pay their leading players so that a greater proportion of income derives from successful performance rather than basic retainers. If the changes come into effect later this year, it may be interpreted by some as an attempt to galvanise a group of players whose Test results have dipped in the past two years.

Giles Clarke, the chairman of the England and Wales Cricket Board, said yesterday that Hugh Morris, the managing director of the England team, was reviewing the way centrally contracted players were paid. Asked if he could see a time when the three pay bands – reportedly ranging from £114,300 to £176,500 – were scrapped in favour of one flat band, Clarke replied: “Yes. We believe they [the players] should have super-earnings capability if they’re successful, but we have got to make sure that the incentives are only if they are successful.

“We’re not going to reward failure. I am concerned about the idea that there are very large central contracts for fixed sums of money. Players are very well remunerated and we are seeking to make it [playing for England] more attractive.”

Clarke said that the board wanted to further encourage players to win series. Under the present arrangements, the team share £180,000 if they win a three or four-match Test series and £215,000 if they win a five-match series. They are rewarded with £76,000 between them if they win a five-match ODI series.

Such bonuses might amount to about £1m for winning four Test and four ODI series in a 12-month period, but Clarke indicated that the new system would entail “a reasonable seven-figure sum”.

“The team effort and performance are what matters,” he added. “What we are going to say is there are going to be significant financial incentives for winning series. We have given Hugh a clear idea of the pot [for a year]. It is important he and Peter Moores [the England coach] work out how the pot should be divided. We’ve all identified the importance of getting in the winning habit. We will look to reward an Ashes success substantially, but we do care about beating everybody else.”

Clarke reiterated that England-contracted players would not be granted No Objection Certificates to play in the Indian Premier League in the foreseeable future. He said that Morris had spoken to senior players to explain the board’s policy, and that key players were expected to rest between the tour of the West Indies early next year and a home season including two Tests against Bangladesh, the world Twenty20 and the Ashes.

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