Whatever was written in the media was beyond me. The only thing I could control was getting fit.

When you bowl at him you are not just trying to get him out, you are trying to impress him. "I want him to walk off thinking 'that Flintoff, he's all right isn't he?" I feel privileged to have played against him.

In the past five weeks I've trained hard, trying to get my ankle back to where I want it to be

When it comes to sledging, I think people often get the wrong view.

It's far more daunting than bowling to Ricky Ponting or facing Shane Warne

While I'm at second slip I'm not just thinking of what I'm going to have for tea. I'm considering the match as well, wondering how I can help, if there is anything I can offer.

We have to take care of our own game. There's only one place we've got to stick up for ourselves and that's the pitch.