'Bloody hell, I must be old'
England allrounder Ravi Bopara on being awarded a benefit year by Essex, his autographing ethics, and putting up with Jonathan Trott's velcro-heavy superstitions
I've loved every moment of it. I've been a little bit frustrated at times but I feel lucky to have played for England. I'm just a guy from east London who didn't come from a cricketing school. I'm happy to have played 171 times but I want to play more. I've got more to achieve. I'm just frustrated with the positions I've been in.
Number six isn't my position of strength. I bat up the order for Essex in all forms of the game.
I'd love to play into my forties. I want to play as long as possible. Being awarded a benefit is a massive honour. When I signed a contract 15 years ago I never thought I'd have a benefit. You don't think about those things, but when it comes to it you think: bloody hell, I must be old!
Getting the opportunity to play with some of the best players around the world and the atmosphere of India.
You can't really get out much. You're always stuck in your room because of how big cricket is there, it's hard to get out.
Trotty was an absolute nightmare. He will put his thigh pad on, strap it on with velcro, then take it off. He'd do that 15 times. Then he'd have to line up his bats on top of each other. They all had to be in a certain order.
Ronnie Irani. He'd come in and complain about something that happened and have full-on conversations with himself.
Ryan ten Doeschate. He can't dance.
"I get most stick from Aussie fans. They don't care. They get stuck into you no matter what. They know their cricket but after getting a few beers down them, they get a bit rowdy"
Owais Shah. He's a "yes, no, sorry" man.
Probably me. I watch a lot of cricket.
Graham Gooch?
Only sixth? Okay, Kevin Pietersen?
(Laughs) I'm not good with things like that. I know a lot about other teams, other players, the way people like to play.
My double-hundred in a one-day game for Essex. I was a young boy then, naive, I didn't know what I was doing. I didn't know I had reached 200 until everybody went crazy.
I love the straight drive. There's no better feeling than smashing one back past the bowler on the ground.
Australia or India. The IPL is the best competition I've played in but the Big Bash is brilliant as well. It's very different to how we do it. They sell it really well, they make it a real day and it's a proper occasion.
I get most stick from Aussie fans. They don't care. They get stuck into you no matter what. They know their cricket but after getting a few beers down them, they get a bit rowdy.
Andy Caddick was real bad. He used to come out with some pointless comments you just had to laugh at.
Nasser Hussain was very, very good. He was quick-witted, smart and clever in the way he did it. He will sledge you on and off the field, he doesn't care.
Paul Grayson - my coach at Essex now - dropped two of the most simple catches you'll see in his younger days. I absolutely wet my pants at how easy they were. He retired after that game, that's what made it even more funny. The guy he dropped went on and scored 150.
Mahela Jayawardene, Kumar Sangakkara or Michael Vaughan.
Bubbly, naive, mischievous.
James Foster, without a doubt.
Their arm. It means they'll go home and won't have a bath. It's wrong, so now I refuse to do them.