Andrew Strauss

Sir
Andrew Strauss

OBE
Strauss being interviewed at the end of the Lord's Test match v Pakistan in August 2010
Personal information
Full name
Andrew John Strauss
Born (1977-03-02) 2 March 1977 (age 47)
Johannesburg, Transvaal Province, South Africa
Height5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
BattingLeft-handed
BowlingLeft-arm medium
RoleOpening batsman
International information
National side
Test debut (cap 624)20 May 2004 v New Zealand
Last Test16 August 2012 v South Africa
ODI debut (cap 180)18 November 2003 v Sri Lanka
Last ODI26 March 2011 v Sri Lanka
ODI shirt no.14
T20I debut (cap 9)12 June 2005 v Australia
Last T20I15 March 2009 v West Indies
Domestic team information
YearsTeam
1998–2012Middlesex
2011→ Somerset (on loan)
2002Marylebone Cricket Club
2007/08Northern Districts
Career statistics
Competition Test ODI FC LA
Matches 100 127 241 254
Runs scored 7,037 4,205 17,046 7,631
Batting average 40.91 35.63 42.72 32.75
100s/50s 21/27 6/27 46/74 10/49
Top score 177 158 241* 163
Catches/stumpings 121/– 57/– 228/– 90/–
Source: ESPNcricinfo, 30 October 2017

Sir Andrew John Strauss OBE (born 2 March 1977) is an English cricket administrator and former player, formerly the Director of Cricket for the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB). He played county cricket for Middlesex, and captained the England national team in all formats of the game. A fluent left-handed opening batsman, Strauss favoured scoring off the back foot, mostly playing cut and pull shots. He was also known for his fielding strength at slip or in the covers.

Strauss made his first-class debut in 1998, and his One Day International (ODI) debut in Sri Lanka in 2003. He quickly rose to fame on his Test match debut replacing the injured Michael Vaughan at Lord's against New Zealand in 2004.[1] With scores of 112 and 83 (run out) in an England victory, and the man of the match award, he became only the fourth batsman to score a century at Lord's on his debut and was close to becoming the first Englishman to score centuries in both innings of his debut.[2][3] Strauss again nearly scored two centuries (126 and 94 not out) and was named man of the match in his first overseas Test match, in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, in December 2004.[4] He suffered a drop in form during 2007, and as a result he was left out of the Test squad for England's tour of Sri Lanka, and announced that he was taking a break from cricket.[5] After a poor tour for England, he was recalled into the squad for the 2008 tour of New Zealand and subsequently re-established himself in the side with a career-best 177 in the third and final Test of that series, and a further three centuries in 2008.

Having deputised for Michael Vaughan as England captain in 2006, Strauss was appointed on a permanent basis for the 2008–09 tour of the West Indies following Kevin Pietersen's resignation.[2] He enjoyed success with three centuries, and retained the captaincy into 2009. Strauss captained the England team to a 2–1 victory in the 2009 Ashes, scoring a series total of 474 runs, more than any other player on either side,[6] including 161 in England's first victory in an Ashes Test at Lord's in 75 years.[7] He held the record for most catches by a fielder for England – going past Ian Botham and Colin Cowdrey at Lord's against South Africa in 2012 – until he was in turn overtaken by Alastair Cook.[8] He relinquished the Test captaincy and retired from all forms of professional cricket on 29 August 2012, following his 100th test, which concluded a series defeat by South Africa that saw the England Test team lose their number-one ranking.[9] He left the job as the second-most successful captain of England in terms of wins, behind only his former opening partner Michael Vaughan.[10] At the end of his retirement press conference he received an unprecedented round of applause from the assembled media.[11]

He became the ECB's Director of Cricket in 2015, shortly before the sacking of Peter Moores.[12] As a result of his services to English cricket, Strauss was appointed a Knight Bachelor in Theresa May's resignation honours on 10 September 2019.[13]

  1. ^ England – News – ECB Archived 7 March 2007 at the Wayback Machine
  2. ^ a b "ESPNcricinfo – Players and Officials – Andrew Strauss". Content-uk.cricinfo.com. Retrieved 10 August 2013.
  3. ^ "New Zealand in England Test Series – 1st Test England v New Zealand". ESPNcricinfo. 24 May 2004. Archived from the original on 25 June 2009. Retrieved 22 June 2009.
  4. ^ "1st Test: South Africa v England at Port Elizabeth, 17–21 December 2004". Uk.cricinfo.com. Retrieved 10 August 2013.
  5. ^ Strauss plans break from cricket BBC News. Retrieved 22 October 2007
  6. ^ "The Ashes 2009: most runs". Stats.cricinfo.com. Retrieved 10 August 2013.
  7. ^ "England v Australia at Lord's, 2009". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 10 August 2013.
  8. ^ "England v South Africa, third Test, day four, Lord's as it happened". BBC Sport. 20 August 2012. Archived from the original on 19 April 2013. Retrieved 10 August 2013.
  9. ^ McGlashan, Andrew (29 August 2012). "Strauss retires from all cricket". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 29 August 2012.
  10. ^ "Strauss retirement". BBC Sport. 30 August 2012. Retrieved 30 August 2012.
  11. ^ "Agnew on Strauss". BBC Sport. 30 August 2012. Retrieved 30 August 2012.
  12. ^ Andrew Strauss appointed to steer England cricket’s strategy, Peter Moores sacked. AFP. 9 May 2015.
  13. ^ "Resignation Honours 2019". GOV.UK. Retrieved 10 September 2019.