Andrew Strauss
The calm, strategic captain who rebuilt English cricket from a crisis, leading them to a historic Ashes win and the world's top ranking.
Born 1977 (age 49)·English cricketer·Birthday: March 2·Generation X
Biography
Andrew Strauss arrived in Test cricket with a century on debut at Lord's in 2004, announcing a player of unflappable temperament and technical soundness. As a left-handed opener, he was the reliable anchor, a master of the cut and pull shots. His true legacy, however, was forged as captain during one of English cricket's most turbulent periods. Taking over after a bitter rift between the captain and coach, he brought a necessary calm and a clear strategic mind. In partnership with coach Andy Flower, he engineered the 2010-11 Ashes victory in Australia—England's first down under in 24 years—and piloted the team to the number one spot in the world Test rankings. His leadership was defined by professionalism and resilience, setting a standard that transformed the England set-up and provided the foundation for a golden era.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Andrew was born in 1977, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Andrew Was Born
The biggest hits of 1977
#1 Movie
Star Wars
Best Picture
Annie Hall
#1 TV Show
Happy Days
Andrew's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1977Born
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1982Started school
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1990Became a teenager
Hubble Space Telescope launched; Germany reunifies
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.80/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Hold On" — Wilson PhillipsBest Picture: Dances with Wolves
1993Could drive
European Union officially established
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $86,600Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"I Will Always Love You" — Whitney HoustonBest Picture: Schindler's List
1995Could vote
Oklahoma City bombing; Windows 95 released
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $96,500Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Gangsta's Paradise" — CoolioBest Picture: Braveheart
1998Turned 21
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2007Turned 30
iPhone released; Great Recession begins
Gas: $2.80/galHome: $172,600Min wage: $5.85/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Irreplaceable" — BeyonceBest Picture: No Country for Old Men
2017Turned 40
#MeToo movement; solar eclipse crosses the US
Gas: $2.42/galHome: $195,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Shape of You" — Ed SheeranBest Picture: The Shape of Water
2026Age 49 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Captained England to a 3-1 Ashes series victory in Australia in 2010-11, their first win there since 1986-87.
- Led the England Test team to the number one ranking in the world in 2011.
- Scored 21 Test centuries, including two on his debut series against New Zealand in 2004.
- Won the Ashes as captain in 2009, regaining the urn on home soil.
Did You Know?
He and his wife, Ruth, founded the Ruth Strauss Foundation in 2019 after her death from a rare lung cancer, to support families facing the same ordeal.
He is a published author, having written books on leadership and his cricket career, including 'Winning Together' and 'Driving Ambition.'
He once took a catch off his own bowling in a Test match against New Zealand in 2008.
Before his cricket career took off, he worked in banking for J.P. Morgan.
“We play hard, we play fair, and we play to win the next session.”
