Andrew Strauss's England Test career – in pictures

Andrew Strauss's Test career gets off to a painful start against New Zealand in May 2004... Photograph: Paul Gilham/Getty Images

....but he still makes a 112 and 83, the first centurion debutant for England since Graham Thorpe in 1993. Photograph: Tom Shaw/Getty Images

Later that year, Strauss goes on tour with England to South Africa, where he makes three centuries and finishes the series with an average of 72.88 to be named man of the series Photograph: Matthew Fearn/PA

Fast forward to the following summer and the 2005 Ashes proves to be a great series for both England and Strauss as he scores two centuries and England beat Australia for the first time in 18 years to regain the urn. Photograph: Tom Jenkins for the Guardian

Strauss makes his debut as England captain against Pakistan at Lord's in 2006. He makes a century and leads England to a series win Photograph: Stu Forster/Getty Images

The return series in Australia in late 2006, prompts the start of a dip, though. With Strauss being overlooked for the captaincy in favour of Andrew Flintoff, the England opener has a poor series and the team are whitewashed 5-0 for the first time in Ashes history Photograph: David Gray/Reuters

The dip in form continues but after being dropped for a tour to Sri Lanka and taking a break from cricket, he is recalled for England's tour of New Zealand in 2008 and hits a career high 177 in the third and final Test to seal the series Photograph: Jon Super/AP

He goes on to tour India later that year where he makes 123 in the first innings of the first Test... Photograph: Bikas Das/AP

...and he follows it up in the second innings with 108 to become only the 10th England player to score two hundreds in the same Test Photograph: Punit Paranjpe/Reuters

Following the resignation of Kevin Pietersen as England captain, Strauss takes the reins on a full-time basis at the last minute as England go on tour to the West Indies at the start of 2009. Despite losing the series 1-0, Strauss scores 169, and 142 twice and it's the start of his working relationship with Andy Flower Photograph: Julian Herbert/Getty Images

Later that year, in his first Ashes series as captain, Strauss helps the team to a battling draw in the first Test in Cardiff and scores 161 at Lord's as England beat the Aussies at HQ for the first time since 1934
Photograph: Philip Brown/Action Images / Reuters

England go on to defeat the Australians at The Oval to register a 2-1 series win and the Ashes return to England once again Photograph: Gareth Copley/PA

After sitting out the Bangladesh series over the winter, Strauss is fresh at the back end of 2010 in the return Ashes series in Australia. Despite not getting off to the greatest of starts in Brisbane, England hang on for a draw Photograph: William West/AFP/Getty Images

The series gets better and better for England as they defeat the hosts 3-1 to retain the Ashes Photograph: Quinn Rooney/Getty Images

Andy Flower congratulates Andrew Strauss after becoming the first England captain since Mike Gatting in 1987 to win a series in Australia. Photograph: Tom Shaw/Getty Images

The hard work of Strauss and Flower culminates in the summer of 2011 as England beat India 4-0 to become the No1 ranked Test team in the world Photograph: Paul Ellis/AFP/Getty Images

Despite the team's success, Strauss struggles slightly with his form with the bat, but silences his critics in the summer of 2012 when he records his first century in 18 months as England beat West Indies in the first Test at Lord's Photograph: Nick Potts/PA

But in the following series against South Africa, Strauss is back under pressure. He averages just 17.83 runs in six innings and is dogged by a public spat with Kevin Pietersen who made derogatory remarks about Strauss in texts sent to players from the visiting side Photograph: Paul Gilham/Getty Images

Strauss looks glum as he announces his retirement from professional cricket during a press conference at Lord's Cricket Ground on August 29 Photograph: Andrew Redington/Getty Images