Alastair Cook

In one sense, what happens for me outside of cricket gives me that break - the farming means I have a really different life outside of cricket; it's not just cricket, cricket, cricket for 12 months of the year. ”

I have loved cricket my whole life, from playing in the garden as a child, and will never underestimate how special it is to pull on an England shirt. ”

The India series wasn't the only reason I retired. It was the culmination of 18 months where things had probably changed in my life. ”

The family farm plays such a big part in my life and I genuinely love going back there. In some ways I'd like to spend every day there, but there would be a big hole in my life if I didn't stay involved in cricket. ”

I've got that ruthlessness inside me. All good captains have to be able to say things like that - with good man-management skills. ”

The one thing about professional sport is it's all about results, and at the end of the day, if someone is employing you and you're not scoring runs or you're not taking wickets, they ain't going to carry on doing it, and there's no any other way of saying that; that's unfortunately the ruthless business of professional sport. ”

Relief isn't quite the right word but there's satisfaction at a job well done and I'm proud to say that I'm an Ashes-winning captain. Without taking it too personally, it has a nice little ring to it. ”

Sport is an entertainment, in one sense. But it's also a business. ”

You're either singing on TV or in front of a full cathedral and there's a bit of pressure there. I know it sounds funny but if you get used to doing it, then performing in front of people playing cricket is the same sort of thing. ”

I think I come back to Essex and fit in pretty well but until you get there you don't know. ”