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.

Unfortunately I am a human being and not a robot.

I'm known as tidy, I like to keep my stuff in order.

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.

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.

Michael Vaughan gave me his old thigh pad when he retired. It was in my kitbag for a long time.