South Africa coach frustrated by Trott choice

South Africa coach Mickey Arthur is frustrated by the sight of Jonathan Trott playing for England.

The 28-year-old played youth cricket for the Proteas having been born and raised in the country but has represented Warwickshire since 2002 courtesy of a British passport he qualifies for because of his English grandparents.

He made his England Test debut this summer against Australia, scoring a century to help England regain the Ashes, and is now part of the squad touring South Africa.

Arthur told The Wisden Cricketer magazine: "It does (frustrate) a little bit, to be honest.

"He wouldn't be in our top six at the moment because our line-up is settled and has a lot of steel but he'd be there or thereabouts.

"Hats off to him; he's gone away and forged a successful career for himself."

Another player who has made himself an important part of the England side is Graham Onions.

And Arthur believes the paceman can make up for the absence of Steve Harmison in South Africa - although he revealed some of his players were happy not to be facing Onions' Durham team-mate.

"Graham Onions impressed us in the Champions Trophy," said Arthur. "He is almost a like-for-like replacement for Harmison.

"Harmy would have been a handful and a lot of our batters are happy he's not coming.

"But I can see how (England coach) Andy Flower and (captain) Andrew Strauss are thinking.

"Harmison's obviously not in their planning for the Ashes next year so they might as well expose someone like Onions to what will be as tough a tour, if not tougher, as what they will experience Down Under."

He added: "England seem to have something quite nice going. It reminds me a bit of where we were two years ago.

"They've looked at the brand of cricket they want to play, backed a couple of players and also swept clean a bit.

"They're going about it the right way. The leadership was exceptional during the Ashes. They look like a well-settled unit."