Jonathan Trott vows to take Heat

Ashes hero Jonathan Trott is ready for whatever is thrown at him on his return to South Africa.

The South African-born England batsman has already shrugged off the critical comments made in Michael Vaughan's recent autobiography.

And he says any abuse thrown at him from Proteas fans won't trouble him either.

Former England captain Vaughan was angry at spotting Trott chatting with South African spinner Paul Harris just moments after they had won their first series in England.

The 28-year-old called it a 'misunderstanding' and a case of being in the 'wrong place at the wrong time', and as far as he is concerned it is now all about the cricket.

But Trott is likely to face real hostility from home fans in the same way Kevin Pietersen did in 2005 - despite the fact he didn't turn his back on South Africa in anger at their selection policy like Pietersen did.

"I'm prepared for whatever may or may not happen," said Trott.

"If I'm honest I'm not too sure which way it is going to go for me. I don't know if I'll get the same amount of abuse as Kevin did. I didn't have a problem at all with the way South African cricket was going.

"I took a decision at a young age to give myself the best opportunity to be the best player I could be, and I saw county cricket as the ideal grounding for that, especially at Warwickshire under Bob Woolmer.

"My dad was born in England and I've always had that connection with a British passport from birth. It is not as though I spend six months in England and then go back to South Africa for six months.

"Harborne in Birmingham is my home and that is my life. I love playing for England and everything that goes with it.

"It is where I see me and my family's future which is just like everyone else in the England team. I can't see myself living anywhere else.

"I do get quite a bit of stick from the rest of the team for living in Birmingham though! I'm patriotic about being an adopted Brummie."

So Vaughan's comments that it was 'a sad day for English cricket' when he saw Trott 'celebrating' with the South African team must have hurt.

Especially as Trott hadn't just come into the England team on a whim. He had put the hard yards in with Warwickshire first, then at the performance centre in Loughborough and then with the England Lions in places including India.

"When it happened, Michael Vaughan spoke to Ashley Giles and he called me," said Trott (right).

"Ash said 'Where are you?' I said I was at home on my own and he said 'I heard you were celebrating with the South Africans'. I didn't know what he was on about.

"It turned out he was talking about me saying hello to a mate who I had grown up with.

"That was a little bit disappointing, but I just see it as a misunderstanding and being in the wrong place at the wrong time. I'm not holding any grudges."