Read has scored 360 runs in 15 Tests

Read, 28, played in the last two Tests against Pakistan before the Australia tour and made scores of 38, 55 and 33.

However, Geraint Jones was preferred for the first three Tests in Australia.

"It was a knockout blow, bewildering and hard to get over. There were a lot of dark days, I wondered what I was doing out there," Read told BBC Sport.

"I could not understand how after playing the last few games of the year I was not going to start the Ashes, especially having played well in those two Tests."

The Nottinghamshire gloveman, who also played in the ICC Champions Trophy last October, was brought back into the England side for the final two Ashes Tests.

However, his return did not last long as he was left out for the one-day series in Australia in favour of Paul Nixon and then omitted from the World Cup squad.

Leicestershire keeper Nixon, 36, has impressed some during his short time in the England team, but is widely-regarded as a short-term option.

Read has been dropped several times since gaining his first Test cap in 1999, with critics claiming he is not capable of making consistent runs at the highest level.

England coach Duncan Fletcher is one such critic, and he also publicly questioned Read's temperament in the run-up to the Ashes.

James Foster of Essex and Matt Prior of Sussex have been tipped to take the gloves for this summer's Test series against West Indies and India.

That being the case, Read's international career looks to be over after 15 Tests and 36 one-day internationals.