Image:Andrew Strauss has called time on his professional cricket career after a hugely successful three-year stint as England Test captain.
Image:Strauss was appointed as Test captain on January 7 2009, after the controversial resignation of Kevin Pietersen.
Image:His tenure got off to a rocky start, as he only managed nine and seven in the first Test in the West Indies, with England losing by an innings
Image:Following the fiasco of the abandoned second Test, the Middlesex opener had a terrific series with the bat, however England lost the series 1-0
Image:Strauss was the man to lead England into the 2009 Ashes series, and was a big factor in England's 115-run win at Lord's that put the series at 1-0
Image:Having drawn at both the Swalec Stadium and Edgbaston, England suffered their first defeat at the series at Headingley, as Strauss' men lost by an innings
Image:This left England in need of a win at the Oval, as in the series stood at 1-1. Strauss produced a fine display with the bat producing two half-centuries
Image:The skipper was also instrumental in the field, contributing a catch and running out Michael Clarke for a duck as England won by 197 runs
Image:Strauss lifted the urn for the first time as captain, and was named man of the series by Aussie coach Tim Nielsen.
Image:A tour of South Africa followed, and though England achieved a respectable 1-1 series draw on African soil, Strauss only managed to pass 50 on one occasion
Image:Strauss was then rested for England's tour of Bangladesh, with Alastair Cook named as stand-in captain
Image:The Johannesburg-born batsman was soon back in the fold though, scoring two half centuries as England beat Bangladesh at home
Image:Strauss struggled for form again though in what was to become a controversial 3-1 series win over Pakistan
Image:Despite rocky form he travelled to Australia hoping to join Mike Brearley and Len Hutton as the only England captains to win the Ashes both home and away
Image:After a draw at The Gabba, England edged ahead as favourites as, despite Strauss' score of one, some excellent bowling saw a win of an innings and 71 runs
Image:After a win in Perth, England secured the Ashes at the MCG, winning by an innings and 157 runs, with Strauss passing the 6,000-run mark in the process
Image:Another win in Sydney completed a 3-1 rout, as Strauss wrote his name into English cricketing history, lifting aloft the urn for a second time as skipper
Image:Strauss and England continued their fine Test form with a 1-0 win over Sri Lanka
Image:Strauss was then to take England back to the very top of the game, as he conspired with Andy Flower to mastermind a 4-0 home series win over India
Image:The emphatic victory saw England replace Duncan Fletcher's side as the number one Test team in the world
Image:But poor performances against South Africa in 2012 took their toll on Strauss as England lost their top ranking, and he decided to call time on his career
