The announcement of Andrew Strauss’ retirement from all forms of cricket is a bitter blow for English cricket. Not only have we lost a fine batsman and excellent captain, but also a genuinely decent bloke. By all accounts Strauss was one of the good guys; modest and upstanding in his actions, whilst possessing a pleasant and admirable personality. Strauss proved himself to be a natural leader, inspiring this England team to become one of the greatest in our history, whilst upholding the morals of fair play and sportsmanship. Even despite his public school upbringing and prosperous background, Strauss earned widespread admiration throughout all echelons of society. Indeed cricket as a whole has lost a fantastic individual, and he will be missed both on the domestic and international stage.
Strauss himself stated that he was “drained” after the recent series against South Africa, which was engulfed by the saga surrounding Kevin Pietersen. After four years at the helm of this side he has decided to call it a day, the constant strain of leading his side taking its toll. Throughout his career Strauss has been a model professional; he worked hard and enjoyed great success, but never distanced himself from the general public. He was an individual that anyone could relate to, and the public quickly developed a fondness for the humble and intelligent left hander. Strauss tried not to become the centre of attention, and would always act for the best of his team and nation. His actions spoke louder than words, as he presented himself as a dignified and honourable cricketer, who was the epitome of a genuine sportsman.
Through his charisma, personality and actions he won the respect of his fellow cricketers around the globe. His teammate Graeme Swann commented in his autobiography; “Strauss is one of those guys who demands respect. He always says the right things, whether it be in team meetings or press conferences, and his word is never questioned.” This was reiterated by seamer Stuart Broad who posted on twitter: “Awesome guy, great leader, dependable batsman and a solid slip catcher. Cheers Straussy you’ll be playing scratch golf within a year…” Meanwhile David Collier, the Chief Executive of the ECB, described Strauss as a man of “tremendous integrity, dedication and commitment both on and off the field”, and added “under his leadership the side has grown immeasurably and reached new levels of professionalism.”
Even Strauss’ end as captain was dignified. In the current sporting world most captains, players or managers leave with barely a goodbye, but Strauss being the man he is, decided to inform his fellow players of his decision by means of letters, an admirable touch from a virtuous man. Strauss will be remembered as a superb batsman, but most of all the man who led England to some of the greatest successes in their history, including back to back Ashes, and the number one ranking in the world.
Strauss has stated that the controversy surrounding Kevin Pietersen isn’t the reason for his retirement, instead pointing to his drop in form in the past twelve months. He calmly said in his usual dignified manner: “For a captain to perform properly, you are not a passenger in the side. With my own energy levels and motivation, I wasn’t going to improve batting wise. I have run my race. I would like to go out on my own terms and this is the right time.”
As a batsman he was rather special also, scoring 6604 runs at an average in excess of 41 in test cricket. That is a phenomenal record for the opener who has racked up 21 centuries for his side during his test career, as well as a further 27 half centuries. Throw in another 4205 runs in one day cricket and you have figures which truly show what a fabulous cricketer the 35 year old has been over the past decade in England colours.
So the end of one of the greatest chapters in English cricket, Andrew Strauss’ reign as captain, has arrived. Into the void steps current one day captain Alastair Cook, Strauss’ vice captain and former opening partner. Cook possesses all of the credentials to thrive as an England captain, and emulate the success of his predecessor. Hopefully he will conduct himself in a similar manner too, and I have all faith in him to do a superb job.
It has been a turbulent past few weeks for English cricket, with the self-induced loss of Kevin Pietersen, being compounded by the retirement of the much loved Andrew Strauss from the England fold. There must now be surely no way of Pietersen returning to the England team. The bridges appear to have been burnt, and the relationship with his former teammates has reached rock bottom. But this is not about Pietersen, for all the publicity and headlines the flamboyant batsman of great skill receives, today is about a true gentleman and great servant to cricket, Mr Andrew Strauss. The whole cricketing nation wishes him the best in whatever the future may hold for an intelligent man, and his legacy as a marvelous captain will remain for decades to come.