Andrew Strauss: podcast appearances and interviews

Sir Andrew John Strauss, born on 2 March 1977, is a former England cricket captain and cricket administrator. He played county cricket for Middlesex and captained the England national team in all formats of the game. As a fluent left-handed opening batsman, Strauss favored scoring off the back foot, particularly playing cut and pull shots. He was also recognized for his fielding strength at slip and in the covers. Strauss made his first-class debut in 1998 and his One Day International debut in Sri Lanka in 2003. He gained prominence in 2004 with a remarkable Test debut at Lord's against New Zealand, where he scored 112 and 83 in a victory, earning man of the match honors. He was noted for nearly scoring centuries in both innings of his debut and for his performances in overseas Tests, including a man of the match award in South Africa in December 2004. Strauss experienced a period of form decline in 2007, prompting him to take a break from cricket. He returned to the team in 2008 with a career-best score of 177 in New Zealand and secured further centuries that year. He served as England captain starting in 2008 and led the team to a 2–1 victory in the 2009 Ashes series, where he scored the most runs of any player. He also held the record for most catches by an England fielder until surpassed by Alastair Cook. Strauss retired from professional cricket on 29 August 2012 after his 100th Test. Post-retirement, he became the Director of Cricket for the England and Wales Cricket Board in 2015 and was appointed a Knight Bachelor in 2019 for his contributions to English cricket.