'It all fell apart when we were going places'
Sean Ervine talks about his decision to leave Zimbabwe, growing up in a sporting family, and the ferocity of a Shaun Tait bouncer

Sean Ervine's run-a-ball hundred against India in Adelaide took Zimbabwe within three runs of a famous win • Getty Images
It was brilliant as a kid. All sports were compulsory: cricket, hockey, athletics and tennis. Everyone played everything and I was from a big sporting family, which helped.
We used to have some great competitions between us. We were lucky to have the upbringing we had on a big farm in the sticks in north Zimbabwe. We used to have a net and a bowling machine and the dogs and the flower beds were fielders. There were lots of windows broken.
It was a bit of a wake-up call. We were 3-0 down in an ODI series with England, which is probably why I got a chance in the fourth. Nick Knight and Marcus Trescothick smashed me around everywhere and I ended up bowling seven overs for 54. I enjoyed the batting, hit a few fours but I was given out caught behind off Freddie [Flintoff]. I didn't edge it, though. I didn't get near it!
It really is. Two of them were in the same game against Bangladesh and they couldn't have been more different. The first one was really hard work in a partnership with Tatenda Taibu. In the second innings, me and Andy Blignaut had to go on and attack to push the game forward. It helped us win the Test, which is more rewarding. I've always been more worried about the team than myself.
Extremely hard. I always look back and think about the team we had before it all fell apart, and we were going places. I think people around the world knew that. I remember 14 or 15 of us players sat down to talk and I had to say, "I'm out".
It was a tough decision but I've had some great years with Hampshire and Western Australia. Both of those teams have been brilliant for me. My parents said they couldn't see it changing and it was justified.
Greg Lamb and Richard Sims called me "Slug" because I was so slow between the wickets, apparently!
Andy Flower was batting against England in a one-day international in Harare. He was facing Matthew Hoggard at the time and he hit the ball and took off to run - but his legs couldn't keep up with him. He ended up three quarters of the way down the pitch on all fours with everyone laughing at him.
Shaun Tait. He's got a horrible action too.
In the head, yes. He got me second ball I faced in a Ford Ranger game in Adelaide. It dented the helmet half an inch and I was seeing stars for two minutes after that. He's a good mate and it's good to see him doing well in the Big Bash.
David Griffiths. He's terrible. When he says stuff in games the boys in the slips just end up falling about laughing.
Liam Dawson.
Ben Stokes. I reckon they're all a bit different up north. I wouldn't fancy it.
That's tough. Thinking back, they've always been pretty laid-back.
I'm not a nervous character at all, I never have been. I remember waiting to bat one game for Zimbabwe when we were playing Pakistan in Harare. I started yawning and the coach Geoff Marsh saw me. He told me to wake up and tried to gee me up but I've always been so relaxed.
Simon Jones' back in the Ashes in 2002 was terrible - but I only saw that on TV. I'm going to go with my own injury. I ruptured my knee ligaments in the final game of the season in 2005 and it was horrendous.
I've had a few but my hundred in the VB Series against India in 2004 is up there. Me and Stuart Carlisle both made centuries but we ended up losing by three runs. I always look back as if that was the start of something.