Foster hopes for return

Foster will work with former great Bob Taylor in training

England wicket-keeper James Foster is hopeful of playing in the final two one-day internationals after admitting feeling mentally drained by a tough tour in New Zealand.

Marcus Trescothick stood in behind the stumps for last Saturday's defeat in Wellington and the side's 43-run victory in Napier after 21-year-old Foster was rested.

"It has been a tough tour for me, not just in getting used to the step up to international level, but the pressure both on and off the field," Foster told BBC Sport Online.

"Sometimes I've found myself just not on my game. The routine of playing, travelling, playing is hard on the body and it just comes at you bang, bang, bang.

Foster said that he had spoken to coach Duncan Fletcher and his Essex team-mate, captain Nasser Hussain, who both advised taking two games off to rest.

"I've still been practising hard but I've been trying to chill out at bit too, which is really hard because you're always doing something on tour.

Extra batsman

Down 2-1 so far, England need to win the final two matches, in Auckland on Saturday and Dunedin on Tuesday, to win the series.

Foster will be working with former England glove-man Bob Taylor in a bid to return to the side.

"He feels that there are no problems with my technique but there could be a few mental things we can look at, in terms of my approach and concentration," Foster said.

The omission of Foster, who has so far batted at nine in the order, has opened up a place for an extra batsman in Owais Shah, but the change in the lineup has so far had little impact.

Fletcher said that he would be assessing the situation in the run-up to the series finale.

"Marcus did a more than adequate job," he told BBC Radio Five Live, "but it's asking a lot of him to bat as well and he's definitely just a fill-in."

"We'll reassess where we're at and definitely consider whether to bring James in for the last two matches."