Saturday 11 April 2015 20:35, UK
Jonathan Trott looks set to open the batting alongside Alastair Cook in England’s game against a St Kitts & Nevis Invitation XI on Monday.
Cook feared Trott's international career was over 18 months ago, but feels he is now ready to face the "pressure cooker" once again as England kick-off their tour of the West Indies.
Trott dramatically left the 2013/14 Ashes trip after just one match in Brisbane having struggled with what was initially labelled a "stress-related condition" and later diagnosed as situational anxiety.
Cook was concerned that would be the end of his days with England but he has since watched the 33-year-old rebuild his career, first with Warwickshire then during a productive winter tour with England Lions.
Uncapped Yorkshireman Adam Lyth is the other top-order batsman on tour but Trott appears to have first claim after batting alongside the skipper in Saturday's centre-wicket practice session at Warner Park.
"He was in a bad place in Brisbane and at the time I would have been surprised that he'd come back, but it's a huge credit to the work he's done off the field and the effort he's put in," said Cook.
"That obviously shows his desire to come back to play for England.
"He has almost demanded selection with the runs he has scored for Warwickshire and it's great for me to see him back in an England shirt. He's a great guy and if he gets his chance he'll be desperate to do well."
Cook accepts there is no guarantee over how Trott will react to the glare of the international game, which remains several notches above anything he will have experienced on the county or Lions circuit.
But with a CV boasting 49 Tests, 3,763 runs and nine centuries, Cook is delighted to have him back on board and nudging the selectors for a recall.
"I am (confident), but you don't know 100 per cent until he's put out in the environment - that is always unknown," he said.
"There's a lot of things about selection that are unknown until you're put into the pressure cooker of international cricket and, make no mistake, it's a high-intensity environment, there's no doubt about that.
"But Trotty's done everything we've asked of him. He feels confident in himself and he's just looking forward to taking that next step.
"What we do know is he's a quality player. You don't have his stats and that weight of runs behind you without being a quality player."
England kick off their Test series in the West Indies on April 13 in Antigua. Watch live from 2.30pm, Sky Sports 2