Happy birthday Andrew Strauss!
Former England captain and current team director, Andrew Strauss turns 41 today. The southpaw, who was born in Johannesburg, moved to England at the age of 6 and the Three Lions couldn't be happier. He went on to become one of England's most successful captains. England won 24 Tests under his captaincy. Here are some lesser-known facts about Andrew Strauss.
ICC pays tribute to England icon
Strauss made his Test debut at the Lord's
Strauss made his Test debut for England in 2004 when he was chosen for the Test series against New Zealand. His debut was a memorable one. He scored a brilliant hundred in his first innings mustering 112 runs. In the second innings, he scored 83 before being run-out. He was awarded 'Man of the Match' for his performance.
Led England to the top of ICC Test rankings
Strauss led England to the top of the ICC Test rankings in 2011. He is also one of the captains to have won an Ashes series in England and in Australia as well. Strauss is considered as one of the most successful England captains and led the Three Lions for the final 5 years of his career.
2011 World Cup debacle led to retirement from ODIs
Strauss retired from ODI cricket after a poor performance in the 2011 World Cup. His last game came against Sri Lanka where he managed just 5 runs. The former England opener played 127 ODIs, scoring 4,205 at an average of 35.63. He has 6 ODI hundreds and 27 fifties to his name.
Retired from Tests after his 100th match
Andrew Strauss is one of the few cricketers to have retired from the sport on their 100th Test in 2012. He is one of the few 'lucky' players to have made his debut and final Test at the Lord's. Strauss retired with 7,037 runs in Test cricket at an average of 40.91 with 21 hundreds and 27 fifties to his name.
