Graeme Swann has spoken of his delight at the fact that his former teammate Jonathan Trott has returned to the international fold.
Number three batsman Trott has not represented England since he departed the 2013-14 Ashes squad, having cited stress and anxiety as the major contributing factors behind his decision to leave Australia.
A potential comeback with Warwickshire was shelved in April as he suffered a setback in his recovery from the "stress-related illness", but he did eventually return to action in June and went on to score runs in all formats of the game.
That has resulted in the 33-year-old being named in the Lions squad that will tour South Africa early next year - a move which is believed to be his first step on the road to earning a recall to the Test side.
Providing that he can continue his recent form, Swann, who since his retirement has become a BT Sport presenter and ambassador, has backed Trott to make England "a better team".
"I haven't spoken to Trotty, but he's obviously in a good place mentally, which is important. He definitely came back too quickly at the start of the summer and I'm glad that was rectified by himself," the off-spinner told Sports Mole.
"I hope he's turned a corner and can crack on and enjoy his cricket again with a smile on his face, as well as piling on the runs. Undoubtedly when he's firing and in the England team, it's a better team."
Trott has scored 3,763 runs at an average of 46.45 from his 49 Test appearances for England.
BT Sport's Graeme Swann will drive at Wales Rally GB this month, the final round of the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC). Swann's efforts will be broadcast by BT Sport, which also has live coverage of the Wales Rally GB. Visit BTSport.com for more info.
Liam Apicella
