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The cricketing media are used to trekking through gloomy west London to the Heathrow Marriott Hotel at least twice a year - either side of Christmas - to sit in an anonymous conference room.

While the rest of his squad have their photos taken for sponsors and wear their wrists out autographing hundreds of cricket bats, the England captain gives his thoughts on the forthcoming tour.

Everyone saves their best questions until closer to the major games so the skipper doesn't usually have much to work with, it's over quickly and we all trek home again.

This year it was a bit different. This year, England won't get the chance to pop home for a Christmas break with an arduous winter ahead that begins in India with the , moves to Australia for and then on to the in the West Indies.

And this year the captain is .

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There are times when the ICC seems to have about as many supporters as a 66-1 rag in a Newton Abbot

And right now, it could do with the services of Max Clifford to get some positive vibes spinning across the airwaves.

After the weekend media savaged the international game’s ruling body for the way it handled the , attention is finally turning, albeit slowly, to the ICC Champions Trophy.

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