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Where did you go to school?

Greenlands County Primary School and then Ribbleton Hall High School.

Did you enjoy your schooldays?

Not all the time, although I have some good friends from school I still keep in touch with.

Did you play other sports and did you excel at other sports?

I played local football for Preston schoolboys and Leyland St Mary's and it was a bit of fun to have a run around. I also played table tennis for Deepdale. That came in handy when we were in Lahore recently as the hotel had a table tennis table and I managed to get in a few games with the lads.

Did you gain representative honours in cricket or other sports?

Apart from the football for Preston schoolboys, I played cricket for Lancashire from under-11s right through to under-16s and made my first-class debut at 17. For England, I've played from under-14s to seniors now. I went with England Schools to South Africa in 1993 and I've been on three NatWest under-19 tours to West Indies, Zimbabwe and Pakistan. I captained that tour of Pakistan with players like Alex Tudor and Ben Hollioake and then captained again in 1997 when Zimbabwe under-19s toured here.

Did you score any big hundreds or take huge numbers of wickets at school?

Not that I can remember, but I did score 234 not out for my club side St Annes in a 20-over game when I was 15. That sticks in the memory.

Who were your childhood sporting heroes and why? From cricket, Ian Botham and Viv Richards for the way they played the game. Both were great players and great entertainers, too. Though Preston North End are my first footballing love I also follow Liverpool's scores and John Barnes was someone else who made an impression with his abilities on the ball. And I loved watching the fights of Mike Tyson in his prime. Awesome.

Did sport interfere with your schoolwork? Yes, as I was often missing time here or there to play cricket. Were you academically inclined? Yes, up until around the age of 13, but then cricket tended to take over. I still left school with some GCSEs, though.

What advice would you give to schoolchildren wishing to pursue a career in sport?

You should always remember that fortune favours the brave, that's been one of my mottos, but the key for anyone playing sport is that first and foremost you should look to enjoy it.