I had good and bad seasons for Essex. I was a real form player: if I got on a run, I was happy and confident, but if I had a bad trot, I was far too analytical of my game, worried about it too much and my form got worse.

The closer I got to Essex 2nds, the more technical I got with my batting.

Being in charge of a team is just like having kids.

More than playing, my greatest moments and love of the game come from captaining England.

When you are no longer England captain, you suddenly realise it's over, you are no longer England captain, and you appreciate what you had.

Bowling was my natural skill. I didn't know how I was doing it, but I was spinning it miles and bamboozling people.

With my bowling, I didn't know how I was doing it, so when it went wrong I didn't know how to fix it.

My relationship with my dad is everything.

From the age of eight until 15 or 16, every time I was out bowling leg spin I was thinking about my dad and when you've done that it stays with you. There are lots of things he did which enabled me to be the player that I was. It wasn't me that wanted to be a cricketer. He made me 90 per cent of the player I was and the person I was.

I am still disappointed when I have let myself down or my team. That will not change at any stage in the future.

Off the field I always thought Mark Taylor was exemplary in the way he handled himself.

I haven't stuck my head out to be captain of England.

I think Andrew Strauss never gets enough credit for what he's done for English cricket.

If you've got an opportunity to improve your squad before a World Cup you must take it.

I played with Graham Thorpe and Alec Stewart; if anything off the field affected Graham his cricket life was not important and you had to give him a break. But if Alec had issues at home you would never know about it; he would turn up and think: 'This is my job, I can do it.'

You should not be flat playing for your country.

In the longer term we have got to learn how to bowl on flat pitches if England are to head the ICC Championship table.

Sometimes we don't build up our own cricketers enough.

I admire anyone who can show they can dig deep. Ballesteros and Sergio Garcia, people who are obviously mentally strong. Or Graham Thorpe. He is your fighter. He's the kid who is bullied at school but will stand up in a fight when it matters.

Trescothick hates it if somebody starts taking the micky or running other people down - which can happen a lot in some dressing-rooms - and he makes sure he stamps it out.

There have been a few times in my career when I have been close to tears after completing an innings, but rarely when I am waiting to bat.

I admired Stephen Fleming.

Pujara is not fashionable, he's very much old-fashioned - he's not great between the wickets and he's not a modern, extravagant, in-your-face character like Kohli, Dhawan or Pandya.

As a player you always feel the pressure and as a team you are always trying to make sure the opposition are under it.