Andrew Strauss is a former English cricketer who played as an opening batsman for the England national cricket team. He was born on April 2, 1977, in Johannesburg, South Africa, and moved to England in his youth. Strauss made his Test debut in 2004 and became the team's captain in 2009, leading England to a historic Ashes series victory in Australia in 2010-2011. After retiring from international cricket in 2012, Strauss took on various roles, including working as a cricket administrator. He was appointed the director of cricket for England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) in 2015, where he focused on improving the national team's performance and promoting the game at all levels.