Trescothick's exit, a setback for English cricket team

Vadodara, Feb 25 The English cricket team, currently touring India, suffered a major setback Saturday when leading batsman and vice-captain Marcus Trescothick decided to return home midway through the series.

England team coach Duncan Fletcher said the left-hand opener had decided to return home for "personal reasons".

The vice-captain's return only compounds England's worries as captain Michael Vaughan missed the practice games with the recurrence of a knee injury.

Fletcher said that all-rounder Andrew Flintoff would lead the side if Vaughan failed to recover in time for the first Test that begins in Nagpur Wednesday.

Alastair Cook and James Anderson have already been drafted from England's A team as cover for the injured players and are expected to join the rest of the team Sunday.

Batsmen Kevin Pieterson and Paul Collingwood and paceman Simon Jones are all nursing injury or health concerns.