Chris Gayle is an incredible player. A big guy, with phenomenal power and a very big bat. It's quite the combo.
— Jos Buttler
It can be hard to keep that mentality but I know that to play your best you can't be worrying about getting dropped, because then you just go into your shell even more and play safe. I've just got to come out and play how I know I can play - that's the way that you get the best out of yourself.
Cricket takes so long. There's a lot of airtime to fill. Guys have to talk about someone's technique for half an hour.
I was worrying about how Mitchell Starc, Mitchell Johnson or Josh Hazlewood would get me out and how I would counter it, but in doing that forgot how I was going to score runs and put pressure on them, which is what I'm good at. I have to be more focussed on myself.
India is such an attack on your senses and is unrivalled for the passion surrounding cricket.
I've always been a bit shy, especially in new situations. But I have that other side in me too. Cricket demands that you grow up fast. Playing in domestic tournaments as an overseas player, you're expected to score runs and bring a lot to the group. And I expect that of myself.
Keeping wicket is the worst place to be when out of form. You can't hide at fine leg where you might touch the ball once every 10 overs. Behind the wicket you are involved every ball.
I was constantly searching for something and you kid yourself that someone out there has got that secret to batting that they can give you one piece of advice that will enable you to go and score a hundred every time. It is silly. By trying to learn I confused myself.
It's really important to have your escape away from cricket, whatever that is for the individual. I enjoy my time away from the game, that really refreshes me and lets me get excited for when I do go back in and play.
Early on, when I was playing the one-day stuff a few years ago and had a really poor start to my career, it was actually when I stopped worrying about getting dropped and about all the things that might go wrong that I started playing better.
I feel maybe at times I've just been a bit too desperate to do well, almost tried too hard. But even though I haven't contributed as I would have liked, I've still enjoyed the cricket just as much.
I think I have an innate inner confidence, one that I don't feel I need to prove all the time. There will be times throughout your career when it does dip a little bit. Whether it's from within, or something you guys have written.
Going into a new environment with new coaches posed the question as to how well I actually know my own game. To have these big names asking what I want from them, and what makes me tick, showed me how selfish you have to be with your practice.
The first time I played Test cricket, I did OK because I had no real expectations, I was just going to enjoy it. Then I lost that.
I'd say the biggest difference is knowing you can do something. You can sit here and say, 'I believe I can get a hundred tomorrow'. But it's a different statement to say, 'I know I can get a hundred tomorrow'. That's something I try to think about.
It was a relief to get dropped which is sad in a way because you never want to miss a game. But I was not performing and mentally I got to a stage where I was not concentrating and did not want to be there. I was not enjoying walking out there and feeling like I didn't know where the next run was coming from.
I enjoy the football, I really love our kickarounds. I would say Chris Woakes is the best - a real Rolls-Royce midfielder. He gets himself around and he's got a silky touch. He's the main man.
Cricket isn't the be all and end all. That doesn't mean you put in less effort or don't try as hard. You put everything into it, but at the end of the day there are bigger and better things.
There's always going to be pressure on your place. It's 11 cricketers. There's always going to be other cricketers outside the team doing well.
I'm quite content with who I am and what I do. You might get someone in your local Tesco who might know who you are. But not really. To think you couldn't do those simple things, I'd say I'd probably crave them quite a lot.
We're very lucky in England: everything's very structured. But in India you have to deal with chaos, and I think that helps dealing with expectation.
But one of the best things away from playing was a visit to a Mumbai slum. You see people in their conditions, getting stuck into their way of life and not moaning, and realise how lucky you are to be doing what you are doing. It put things into perspective.
The fact that people want to learn from you gives you confidence as well, especially if someone in an IPL dressing room that you respect comes up to you and asks how you do something. Your self-worth starts to improve.
What was scaring me was if we lost, I didn't know how I'd play cricket again. This was such a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, a World Cup final at Lord's.
When Mahela Jayawardene was with us before the Test series against Pakistan he said it should all be about enjoying your talent and skill. He took his bat out there to score runs and enjoy playing the game.
I enjoy fitness. I've always enjoyed trying to stay healthy. I've enjoyed all my gym work; obviously there's a cross-over with that going into cricket. But you also talk of finding an escape and I think in the last year or so, running has provided me with that.
