Strauss factfile

Andrew Strauss is quitting as England captain. Sky Sports looks at the career of the left hander.

Andrew Strauss has decided to stand down as England captain and to retire from all forms of the game. Here we look back at the life and career of the 35-year-old left hander. 1977: March 2 - Born, Johannesburg, South Africa. 1997: Makes Middlesex one-day debut. 1998: Makes Middlesex first-class debut. 2001: Middlesex player of the year. 2002: Appointed Middlesex captain. 2003: Scores over 1,400 first-class runs in first full season as Middlesex captain; makes England one-day international debut. 2004: May - Makes brilliant Test debut, scoring 112 and 83 against New Zealand at Lord's. December - Scores 126 and 94 to help England to seven-wicket victory in first Test against South Africa at Port Elizabeth. 2005: January - Adds another century in fourth Test at Johannesburg before finishing series with 656 runs. September - Scores his second century of victorious Ashes series triumph over Australia in fifth Test at The Oval. 2006: March - Hits 126 in series-levelling third Test victory over India in Mumbai. August - Captains England to home Test series victory over Pakistan but is not retained as skipper for winter Ashes series in Australia, the job going to Andrew Flintoff. 2007: Endures disappointing season, failing to score a century in seven summer Tests against West Indies and India and is dropped for tour of Sri Lanka in first half of winter. 2008: March - Struggles on return to team in New Zealand and his place looks under threat until grinding out 177 in his sixth innings of the Test series in Napier. May - Enjoys good return series against New Zealand with two fifties and a century. December - A disappointing second summer series against South Africa again leaves his place in jeopardy but he returns to form with two centuries in first Test against India in Chennai. 2009: January - Appointed England captain for West Indies tour after Kevin Pietersen's resignation. February - In charge as England are bowled out for 51 in the first Test against West Indies in Kingston but goes on to have a fine series with scores of 169, 142 and 142 in next three Tests. July - Bats through first day of second Test against Australia at Lord's to score 161. August - Scores two half-centuries in fifth Test at the The Oval and is later named England's man of the series as the Ashes are regained. 2010: March - Controversially rested for tour of Bangladesh, Alastair Cook temporarily taking over as captain. August - Oversees victory in controversial Test series against Pakistan. December - Passes 6,000 Test runs in fourth Test against Australia at Melbourne. 2011: January - Wins his second Ashes series as England captain. February - Scores career-best 158 in tied World Cup game against India in Bangalore. March - Retires from one-day internationals after England's World Cup campaign ends in quarter-final defeat to Sri Lanka. June - Scores just 27 runs in three-match Test series against Sri Lanka. August - Oversees series win over India that takes England to top of world Test rankings. 2012: February - Passes 50 just once as England lose Test series 3-0 to Pakistan in UAE. May - Scores centuries in the opening two Tests against the West Indies to help England win the three-match series 2-0. Named England's player of the series. July/August - Scores just 107 runs at an average of 17.83 as England lose 2-0 at home to South Africa in the three-Test series, losing top spot in the world rankings to the Proteas in the process. Makes 100th Test appearance, and 50th as captain, in the final match at Lord's but the milestone is overshadowed by the Pietersen controversy. August 29 - announces he is quitting the England set up.