I had two thoughts when I heard that Kevin Pietersen was ruled out of the rest of the Ashes series.

The first was thank heavens it wasn't Freddie.

Of the two star names in England's squad we can just about do without the South African but we can't stick it where the Aussies don't like it without that giant of a man Flintoff.

He terrified them at Lords and it was just so uplifting to watch.

And with Pietersen gone, at least we won't have to listen to him justifying getting out, playing another ludicrous shot that's selected for its headline-making potential rather than advancing the team's cause.

Is it just me or is anyone else getting a little tired of that "I am who I am, take me or leave me" approach?

But then I suppose we shouldn't be too surprised – humility isn't something they study on the Highveld.

My second thought was send for Marcus Trescothick. OK, I'm biased – he's a Bristol lad and I got him out once (absolutely true, although I admit he was only 15 at the time) but surely he is The Man.

He was the England player who set the tone for the last Ashes win in 2005.

After defeat at Lords, Trescothick went into bat at Edgbaston on the first morning with a freedom seldom seen from an England opener. He caned the Aussie attack for 90 runs at almost a run a ball – it was carnage and it was brilliant.

For me, apart from when that poor fellow Glen McGrath clumsily stood on a ball warming up, that was the moment that changed the series.

It was a brutal innings, it was aggressive but poetic and it was so un-English.

Lee, Warne and Gillespie certainly weren't expecting it and to be honest I don't think home fans were expecting it either.

Fast forward four years and I think Trescothick is probably a better player now than he was then.

He's also in terrific form at the moment. He has scored more runs than anyone else this season, nearly the magic 1,000, and he's averaging 70 odd.

Pietersen aside, I would say he is still England's best batsman and the team has never been quite as good since he retired.

We all now know why he quit – those terrible psychological demons that dogged him when he left the UK for foreign shores.

But he's battled those and it seems he has found an inner peace again. It's quite clear that his cricket isn't suffering.

And so here we are, one up with just three matches to go in an Ashes series and we need a batsman.

Surely Andrew Strauss and all the selectors should be texting, phoning, bribing, doing whatever is necessary to get Trescothick to jump in the car to Birmingham.

He doesn't have to rejoin the England set up, he doesn't have to commit to future games, all he has to do is to say yes to playing in three, solitary test matches.

He can even go home every night if he wants.

Whatever it takes.

Because if ever a man needs special dispensation it's Trescothick and if his return upsets a couple of others who are denied a chance because he's been brought back for a cameo, then so be it.

I'm sorry Ian Bell you are very good but you are no Trescothick and this is an Ashes series.

Can you imagine the Australians leaving the most destructive man available on the sidelines just so as not to hurt anyone's feelings? No, of course not.