"actually, billy, that's not bad"

michael was an excellent and thoughtful test captain, thoroughly deserving of his highly successful record. he deserved to go out on much more of a high than this, and his resignation has left many fans and players in shock. with a steady personality and calm demeanour, his (very rare) show of emotion when announcing his resignation showed just how much the role and the team meant to him, and how much recent events had taken their toll.

although recent times have seen him struggling with the bat, when he's in form he's an absolute joy to watch with a range of elegant and classical strokes. let's hope that the break from test cricket is temporary, and that his return to the yorkshire team give him the space needed to regain his peace of mind and refresh his talent. he's an absolute class act.