INJURY meant 2012 was a year to forget for Chris Tremlett but now the fast bowler hopes a successful campaign for Surrey may get his England career back on track.
After a good spell for the national side, Tremlett was forced to undergo back surgery in February 2012, and soon after he returned to action he received another setback in August.
Since then, the 31-year-old has been working hard on rehabilitating his back and a problem with his knee that he suffered in September.
But now Tremlett is confident his injury luck has turned.
"I guess when you are in pain like that you are just trying to get through the day and to look ahead to a day when you wake up and it'll be better," he said.
"Effectively with my back injury in August it took about six weeks before I could get up and think 'oh my back's all right'.
"You aren't really thinking about cricket, you are thinking about day-to-day things.
"But once those things heal, your goals move on. Once I was better I was gearing towards my next challenge.
"I had a long 2012 and it was a pretty rubbish one, I didn't play much cricket and the start of my winter was very tedious in terms of rehab and seeing the physio a lot, running on an anti-gravity treadmill, which I had to do for four to six weeks.
"Since Christmas it has been really good but before Christmas it was quite tough in terms of rehab and stuff in the gym to get my back and knee better.
"Like I say, since Christmas it has been good, smooth-flowing and then I've had a really good pre-season. I got some good bowling under my belt."
After being awarded a one-year England contract in September 2011, Tremlett's injuries could not have come at a worse time but the Southampton-born cricketer still believes he has something to offer the national side ahead of an Ashes-focused summer.
"It did come at a pretty bad time," Tremlett said of his injuries.
"It was a bit of bad luck I guess, it was a bit like Graham Onions who was out for a year or a year-and-a-half after he had a really good spell in the England team.
"I guess you have to look past that and put it behind you as quickly as you can and you just have to accept that.
"I still feel I'm the same bowler and I still feel I can offer that to the side. It's just staying on the park, staying fit and looking after myself and then hopefully putting in some performances for Surrey and trying to work my way into that [England] squad.
"It's not going to be easy but I just have to believe in myself, which I do, and hopefully my body holds up. Figures crossed, I get a bit of change of luck."
