How are you feeling about playing India and how will you prepare?
It’s going to be a challenge but we’re not nervous. We have a team analyst who does stats on how their guys get out and so we come up with plans for every batsman.
At what age did you realise that you had a special talent for cricket?
Around six. I was playing cricket in the hallway with my dad, who was also a cricketer, when I was two, and I never gave up on wanting to be like him.
Your grandfather was a cricketer too — did you ever rebel against it?
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I did have a bit of a rebellion at 16. I discovered girls and parties and thought “I’ve had enough”, because you do have to make a lot of sacrifices. Then I got picked to be in the Hampshire Academy and decided to give it a real go. It was the right decision!
You’re 6ft 7in. Should short kids give up on their dreams to be a bowler?
Being tall is a natural advantage, but whatever height you end up you’ve got something to offer. We’ve got a lad at Surrey, Stewart Meaker, who is under six foot but bowls 90-plus miles an hour and will probably play for England.
What’s the secret to bowling a killer ball?
For me it’s about visualising where you want to put the ball, almost picturing the result before it happens.
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Do you have any rituals before a game?
I’m too laid-back, but a guy I knew from Hampshire, his team taped his bat to the ceiling as a joke ... and he went and got 100. He’s taped his bat to the ceiling before every game since.
Who’s the best batsman you’ve ever bowled against?
Sachin Tendulkar. I bowled against him four years ago and it was a challenge.
Do you ever wish you were a batsman rather than a bowler?
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Sometimes if it’s a very flat wicket and the batting looks easy, I think “I’d like to get out there, knock a few runs out and put my feet up for the rest of the day”. Bowlers have to put in the hard work, but at the same time if you bowl a side out or get five wickets it feels great.
Who’s the biggest joker in the England dressing room?
Swanny. He’s always telling stories and does very good impersonations. His one of me is an Arnold Schwarzenegger “I’ll be back” impression.
Tell us something about yourself we didn’t know before.
I’ve got a pimped-out Range Rover: big wheels, a big bumper and new seats.
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Want to be England’s cricket mascot?
If you are aged 8-13, you could be the official mascot in England’s second one-day clash with India at The Rose Bowl in Southampton on Tuesday, September 6, in celebration of Brit Insurance National Cricket Day, offered by Chance to Shine (chancetoshine.org) To be in with a chance of winning, just answer the following question:
Who is the captain of the Indian cricket team?
a) Sachin Tendulkar b) Mahendra Singh Dhoni c) Gautam Gambhir
E-mail your answer by July 18 to: Scott.collen@ cricketfoundation.org.uk, putting Mascot Competition in the subject heading.