England’s playing group was already down to 14 men after Rehan Ahmed returned home ahead of the fourth Test. With Robinson struck down with a bug that affected others in the England camp earlier in the week, Trescothick and Collingwood were named on the team sheet as sub-fielding options. ICC playing conditions stipulate that sides must name a maximum of six substitute fielders for a Test match.

Both Trecothick and Collingwood had reputations as excellent fielders during their playing careers. Collingwood took 96 catches in his 68 Test matches while Trescothick took 95 catches in his 76 Tests. They sit 12th and 13th respectively on the list of catches taken in Test matches for England by non-wicketkeepers.

In pre-match training yesterday (March 6), England put their coaching staff to the test with a coaches vs players slip fielding challenge. Each side was give 20 catches with a point for each catch and two points awarded for a ‘great catch’. Trescothick was seen taking a one handed reflex catch off Ollie Pope’s bat during the challenge.

Coaches 🆚 Players
Slip Cordon Challenge 💪
20 Chances each 🤲
1 Point for a catch 👏
2 Points for a great catch 🙌

— England Cricket (@englandcricket) March 6, 2024

It’s not the first time Collingwood has filled in for England on the field post-playing career. In 2014, three years after his international retirement, Collingwood was listed as a sub-fielder for an ODI against New Zealand, when Eoin Morgan and Alex Hales were sidelined with injury. He was back in whites in during a tour match against a Cricket Australia XI ahead of the 2017/18 Ashes series, acting as a fielding substitute for James Anderson, borrowing Mason Crane’s whites to do so. He also ran the drinks for England during their 2020 series against Pakistan when Covid restrictions prevented more players being called up to the squad.

Trecothick’s return to on-field action has been more recent. The 48-yea- old ran the drinks for England at Ranchi in the fourth Test match of the ongoing series.