Ignoring stats allows Trott to flourish out in the middle

Speaking ahead of England’s second Test with Sri Lanka, Trott said how ignoring his stunning statistics have made him one of the most prolific batsman in England’s history.

Trott said: “I don’t think about it, I find numbers are for people to look back on afterwards.

“At the forefront for me is my team winning the game. I just go out and try to score the runs that will help put us in position to do that.”

In the past 12 months he has scored 2,246 runs at an average of 68.

But it was dwelling on statistics like those that held the 30-year-old back earlier in his career.

The Cape Town-born batsman said: “As a youngster I used to set myself goals – 1,000 runs by a certain point, so many by the end of the season. But what happens is you go out and take guard in April and you think you are miles away from that number – and you put unnecessary pressure on yourself.”

Trott currently has the highest Test batting average of anyone in history - bar the great Don Bradman - among players who have won as many or more caps.

He will be hoping to continue his fantastic form against Sri Lanka from tomorrow, who he thumped with the second double century of his career in the first Test last week.

Trott made a slow start to his cricketing life and did not receive an England call-up, for whom he is eligible to play due to his grandparents, until a Twenty20 International against the West Indies.

The Warwickshire batsman said: “I’d been a work in progress. At the end of 2007, I sat down with (Warwickshire coach and England selector) Ashley Giles and we planned how we were going to go about making me one of the best players in England. I’d had a try but wasn’t ready then – and in a way, that was a good thing.

“It made me realise how far I had to go.”

He was not selected again for a further two years when he scored an Ashes-clinching century in 2009.

Since then he has maintained an international Test average of 66.77 and was named the ECB cricketer of the year on Tuesday night.

Meanwhile, Trott’s England team-mate Chris Tremlett believes he has become the aggressive bowler people wanted him to be four years ago.

He said: “In 2007 I tried to be quite aggressive when I played. Maybe that was a bit forced.

“Now fast bowling and being aggressive is something that comes more natural to me.”