Andrew Strauss

People much prefer to feel part of something and that they're appreciated and wanted, that their voice actually holds some sway, rather than just having someone barking orders at them.

I loved captaining and trying to win games - but I wasn't enjoying batting any more.

It's always frustrated me when I've seen other players able to smack balls over the bowler's head and stuff like that. I can't, though. When I've tried I've let myself down.

I had to stop being a student idiot and become more sensible and organised and that definitely improved my batting. I also reacted far more quickly to situations in Test cricket because I'd been a county captain. It made a huge difference.

I always thought we ought to recognise the blood, sweat and tears - and the sacrifices in being away from home - of former England players, and that current players should know what has come before.

I was forced to learn a lot about psychology as a player, and as a captain to get the best out of others. There's still a lot of scepticism about it in sport and the workplace, but dealing with fluctuations of form, and pressure, and being away from home are more important than your cover-drive.

If you think about the practical difficulties of having a relationship with somebody on the other side of the world, it defies all logic.

We've always got to look for opportunities for our English coaches to get more experience than just doing county coaching gigs. They need to do more than that if they're going to be viable candidates for England jobs going forward.

My life experience has made me realise what's important and what is not.

Until you go through a bereavement, you don't know how you will cope. What we have found out is that life is completely different. The foundations that you have been building all your life are knocked down.

I've known Nick Compton a long time. He's a fully-formed cricketer and he's scored lots of runs.

Cricket is not rocket science. Bowlers often get wickets through perseverance, accuracy and being patient rather than trying to blast opposition teams out.