Quotes of All Topics . Occasions . Authors
I want to make contributions that help us win Test matches rather than put us in positions where we have to play extremely well to win.
Every player wants to see the game grow and flourish so it would be great to be able to help do that by achieving something very special.
If you look round the world, most teams want guys who can bowl up at 90 mph because they can make things happen when it isn't doing much.
Time has never really been an issue in Test cricket, especially in the modern game where things naturally move quicker than they have in the past.
There are always different areas in the game you want to develop. For me it's my all-round game in different conditions in different places in the world.
You have to have a laugh and a joke. If you spend five days playing a Test match and so much time together off the field, it's important to keep morale high.
I've always wanted to play Test cricket from a young age and that's what you dream about. But you have to make sure you can contribute regardless of the format.
Teams quickly find trends in ways you get out. If you get out in similar fashion on three or four occasions, teams will be using that as a weapon to get you out.
If I was playing for my local club I'd want to play in exactly the same way as if I was playing for England and, if that ever changes, it's probably time to stop.
My first bat was a Duncan Fearnley 405, size two. I was aged about four. I loved that bat, such great memories. I gave it to a family member and never saw it again.
All we can do as players and ambassadors of the game is try to set an example, playing in the right way and make it as entertaining as possible for people watching.
In white-ball cricket the conditions do vary, but throughout Tests it varies a lot more in a five-day game, and home advantage becomes more prevalent in Test cricket.
I have a short, home-made armguard because I don't like the regular ones. I'd wear that on a lively pitch. I don't use a chest guard because I find it too restrictive.
If you're playing against someone, you always want them playing flat out and at their best - so when you are successful you know you've produced a really good performance.
Make sure you look after people around you and it holds you in good stead going forward in terms of leadership. Look at all the best leaders and they have those qualities.
In the past, I found myself on occasions not playing the game at the speed that suits me. I need to make sure I'm in control of what is going on out there as much as I can.
The great thing about T20 is that it only takes one performance. One piece of individual brilliance can win a game and that can change the whole way you approach a tournament.
I want England to do well. I want us to go to World Cups and win. If I'm not in the best eleven or the best squad, so be it. I'll support whoever's involved all the way through.
I just want to represent England whether it is in the middle, at the top or wherever. If it means opener then great but I'm not too fussed about it. I just want to be in the side.
You learn from the bad games and the bad tours. And, when things are going well, you think about that and you make the most of it. You don't get lazy; you don't rest on your laurels.
It's not about how many games we win with me as captain, it's about us being consistently getting better over a long period of time and looking to be that number one side in the world.
Every now and then you might have to change things around. It's not something that is good to do a lot - especially with your batting - but every now and then, I don't think it's a bad thing.
When you go to Australia you are always asked whether you can perform in hostile environments against high pace and every Australian side I have played against has had guys bowling over 90mph.
From a young age I've always known my game pretty well and coming from a club like Yorkshire you are generally taught to say what you think. If you don't say what you think then someone else does.
I'm not a massive reader, to be honest. I try and fill my time with other things. But I remember getting halfway through a book once. It was 'The Client' by John Grisham, which was quite interesting.
I played my first game of adult cricket at about eight or nine when the fifth team were short and picked me to field and bat at No 11. From then I just got the bug and wanted to play as often as possible.
I'd love to go and visit Pakistan. It would be a great opportunity to go and play there personally. Unfortunately, it's not my decision to make, but it looks a wonderful country to go and play cricket in.
Jos has been the most complete white-ball batsman we've had ever. The way he can play a number of different scenarios. He can just demoralise attacks and very quickly swing games massively in your favour.
I don't get too fussy about food around games. It is more just a case of making sure I get some fuel on board. But I quite enjoy poached eggs and toast in the morning so I often go for that before training.
It is motivating seeing how powerful it is when people come together and show support for a fantastic organisation like the NHS. We are very lucky to have it. We should appreciate it and not take it for granted.
I was pretty much a goody-two shoes at school - a bit boring, didn't get in trouble with teachers - it was classical Yorkshire: a lot of respect to your elders. Once I started playing cricket that sort of slipped away.
I am slightly better at sleeping now during Test matches. I have a diary and I write things down, which helps. I write about decisions, a lot about opposition and stuff I want to say to the team so I am clear on the message I want to give.
From the age of six I used to watch every England team and when I was messing around in the backyard I would pretend to be whoever was scoring runs at the time, whether they were a right or left-hander. I just wanted to be them and do that.
As a batter you are generally playing a mental game most of the time and having too long to prepare can work against you - you can almost fry yourself out before a Test match or feel slightly fatigued two games in because you have spent too long preparing.
You have to enjoy winning and being part of a successful team, just being a young bloke. But at the same time you want to be back page and not front page news and be spoken about for your cricket and contributing to winning rather than getting it wrong on a night out.
You look at someone like Neil Wagner - he's got a big heart, a big engine, and keeps running. And that's what you want, you want guys who, time and time again, want to be putting themselves in that position, to keep wanting to create chances and keep trying to change the game.
We think it is a really important part of your journey, as an international player, that you come in and you want it to feel like it's the pinnacle of the game. That you want to come back into that environment. You don't want to think, 'Well, I'd much prefer playing for Sussex,' or your county.
When I'm waiting to bat I try to watch the game and make sure I know what is going on so I am ready when I get out there but I spend a lot of time hydrating. It is very important for your performance and concentration. If it is cold I might have a coffee but mainly I am trying to stay really hydrated.
What batsmen like me do for fitness is often a bit different to what bowlers like Jimmy Anderson or Stuart Broad do but everyone in the squad has a big focus on core strength. It is really important for batting, bowling and fielding. You need a strong core and spine so your movement isn't restricted out there.
I remember getting hit in the ribs when I was on about eight or nine in my first game, and everyone rushed over, quite concerned. The umpire said to me afterwards, 'If anyone had appealed I would have had to give you out LB!' I ended that innings about nine not out off about 15 overs. I was already digging in - Yorkshire style.
