Jonathan Trott must get help against left-arm pace

Jonathan Trott's second innings at the Gabba was among the worst I have seen from an England No3 and the time has come for him to admit he has a problem against left-arm quick bowlers. Trott does not need to confess to the media but he should go to the coaching staff and tell them he has an issue against that kind of bowling.

You do not play shots like the ones he did on Saturday without something being seriously wrong in your mind. For the first time in his career Trott is facing a question mark about how he is going to cope with a crisis. Ian Bell, Alastair Cook and Kevin Pietersen have gone through that sort of period in the past and emerged stronger.

Trott can do the same but he has hard work ahead of him because his problem is against pace and that kind of issue is so hard to resolve. Before we played Australia in 2005 I remember Marcus Trescothick openly admitted in the dressing room at Headingley that he had a problem playing Glenn McGrath. Two or three of the lads sniggered but everyone else said 'we will help you out'. All of a sudden everyone was behind him giving him advice. Two days later he went out and smashed a hundred in a one-day game. Trott is in a similar position now.

On quick pitches against good pace attacks he struggles: South Africa in Johannesburg in 2009 (he scored five and eight), Australia at Old Trafford last summer (five and 11), at Perth 2010-11 (four and 31) and here in Brisbane this week. The figures against left-armers are equally alarming. This year Trott averages 21 against left-arm seam. Neil Wagner and Trent Boult also caused him also sorts of problems when England played New Zealand and he has been out 11 times to left-arm seam in total this year.

Technically speaking, his eyes are getting too far away from the ball and his momentum is taking him so far over to the off side that he cannot pull out of the shot. If he stays still and more on the leg stump with his head position then those short balls on his ribs actually become nice balls to play. You just flick them off or, if you cannot do that, you have to wear a chest pad and let it hit you. I also think he gets closed off with his left shoulder against a left-arm over the wicket bowler such as Mitchell Johnson. He has a blind spot in his left eye because of that. It would help if he opened up his stance and moved as far back in the crease as possible, which is an option for Trott because he has an initial movement forward. I do not see why he would want to get closer to the ball when it is coming down at 91mph. Go as far back on the stumps as possible, stay more on the leg side and open up that shoulder to get the right eye looking at the ball from the left-arm over bowler. I am pretty sure he is right eye dominant. It all sounds very complicated but I think it would help his game. He might see the ball earlier, it would stop him jumping around the crease. He was successful in Australia three winters ago averaging 89 in the series.

But if you look at the attack in that series, Australia were weak. They had Ben Hilfenhaus, who was medium pace, Doug Bollinger also medium pace, Peter Siddle was not as good as he is now, and Johnson was all over the place. With this attack it is different. Ryan Harris is attritional but also pacy, Siddle is bowling quickly and you know he will be accurate too, and they have a spin option in Nathan Lyon as well as Shane Watson when he is fit. They have four bowlers who can hold an end allowing Clarke to throw the ball to Johnson and let him loose in three-over bursts. They tried him on a few occasions in the England first innings and he did not get it right so he was taken out of the attack. But it did not matter.

They brought him back and he caused chaos from the Vulture Street End. I think this will be the tactic for the series. Clarke will give Johnson an opportunity for two or three overs at a time and maximising him when it clicks. Stuart Broad in the past week has given an exhibition of how to cope under a huge amount of pressure. It is not just his ability to deliver his performance but also displaying fight and energy in the most hostile of circumstances.

Nothing can prepare you for 40,000 people singing "Broad is a w-----" when you first get the ball in your hand on day one of an Ashes series. I have never heard an England cricketer get that kind of response from a crowd. His first ball was a no ball hit for four and his opening over was poor. He could have gone into his shell straightaway but he thrived and won the crowd over. Succeeding in such circumstances comes from inner strength, confidence, fight and huge amount of belief in your own ability. His bowling was excellent but what stood out for me was his batting. He came out to face a hat-trick ball with England 87 for six and the Gabba rocking.

It was a brutal environment for a player already a target of abuse. But he fought it and that was the moment I realised Broad is an outstanding cricketer. In this Test match he has proven to me he is going to go on and be one of the greats of English cricket. His bowling was clever because he learned he had to bowl a bit fuller and use his short ball as the surprise ball. Broad looks in complete control of his bowling and his action. Unfortunately he has been around a few players this week who have been poor.