What the players say

“Yes loads. Kwik Cricket was really where I started playing my cricket before I started going into clubs so it was the first stage of my career. School was where we played Kwik Cricket to start, then moved on to proper club cricket.” - Ian Bell

“Yes loads. Kwik Cricket was really where I started playing my cricket before I started going into clubs so it was the first stage of my career. School was where we played Kwik Cricket to start, then moved on to proper club cricket.” - Alastair Cook

“Yes I did play Kwik Cricket as a child, but I was lucky enough to be involved in a local cricket side where our games were a little bit more structured, and we played little miniature games on a cricket pitch.” - Matthew Hoggard

“I played at Wycombe House Cricket club and actually went to Lords as a youngster for an England vs Australia game and played during the lunch time. I didn’t really think when I was eight or nine that I would play for England or anything, but it was a good way of playing cricket, and obviously getting a visit to Lords cricket ground was amazing.” - Owais Shah

“Yes I played a lot as a child, any type of sport, in the days when they were not lots of computers, so you had to go outside, and I had loads of friends close by to play football, cricket and rugby.” - Ryan Sidebottom

Being an athlete you already know about your five a day portion, and because you are training and working hard, you tend to try and have more than your 5 portions a day, not just stuck on 5 portions. You can eat a lot more portions of fruit and veg because it is not that fattening and they are good for you.” - Matthew Hoggard

Yeah, mum told me that when I was growing up and all my life so I try my hardest. It is very difficult in places like the sub continent because it’s a bit of a grey area, you don’t want to get yourself ill, so most certainly in England, South Africa, Australia, the Caribbean, you do get a good supply.” - Kevin Pietersen

“They don’t always mention it but I think the guys are pretty good like that, you know what you have to do. We do eat plenty of fruit. Fruit is available for us all day, every day pretty much, so it is there when we want it.” - Ryan Sidebottom

We see a lot of the government stuff and there is great stuff from Asda as well on about having our 5 fruit and veg a day, and our physio goes along with that as well, makes sure we get our apples and oranges.” - Graeme Swann

“Yes definitely. When I was at school it was mixed, so it’s a great way for girls and boys to get started.” - Ian Bell

“Yes definitely. It’s great that girls can join in as well. It’s quite an easy sport to play because it’s so fun and quick, not that technical, you can just come in and hit the ball.” - Alastair Cook

“Yes definitely, I don’t think there is a limitation on who you are, boy girls doesn’t matter, get involved and have a bit of fun” - Owais Shah

“Yes both boys and girls, not just boys. I used to coach a lot of the girls round the schools. A lot of the girls are better than the boys actually. They listen more, they take the advice on board, and they are pretty good to be honest, and long may it continue.” - Ryan Sidebottom

“Kwik Cricket is a great way for kids to get involved in the game, and really get an early taste for playing cricket. It’s a great way, certainly I did, to make good friends at the early ages of cricket, so there are plenty of benefits.” - Ian Bell

It“s great getting kids involved in playing a team game. I grew up playing it as did a lot of the members of the team, playing in the park. That’s how we used to play, that’s how we learnt it, so I think Kwik Cricket is getting lots of people involved in cricket.” - Alastair Cook

“Kwik Cricket is a great way just to have fun, get involved in the local sport, and make sure that your kids are part of a team. When you are part of a team you learn how to interact, you learn leadership skills, you can get involved with every different nation and nationality in the country which is great. It’s a great way of interacting with other kids.” - Matthew Hoggard

“Kwik Cricket is just another way of getting people involved in playing the game, boys girls anybody. The key is to get an involvement from a very young age and that’s just the way it is. I was very young when I started playing cricket in the back yard. Around England you see lots of kids kicking footballs around, so Kwik Cricket is a good way of getting kids involved and kids loving the game of cricket.” - Kevin Pietersen

“It is one way of introducing the kids to the game, and showing them how much fun it is. Cricket can be viewed as a dull game at times and I think Kwik Cricket and also twenty twenty cricket shows how much fun cricket is, and gets kids involved in cricket.” - Owais Shah

“It gets kids who probably don’t know much about cricket playing with a bat and ball. It gets families together, getting them to know the platform and how cricket works, and if one of them enjoys it and goes all the way to play for England, then that’s one job that Kwik Cricket has done.” - Ryan Sidebottom

“Kwik Cricket has been a great invention. It’s obviously open to both boys and girls which is important and all ages. I don’t think it’s that hard to pick up and certainly the rules aren’t that complicated to understand, as can be the way when you look at the game in the professional manner so it’s just great for kids to understand, run around, catch a ball and try and whack it and have a bit of fun.” - Michael Vaughan

“Kwik Cricket to start with is the very basic form of the game, and all to do with enjoyment and getting out there and having fun. The further you go up, Test match level obviously being a much faster pace, it’s a harder ball as well so the equipment has to go up a level as well, but I guess the early stages are all about having fun really.” - Ian Bell

“The bats blue for a start, it’s made out of plastic. The balls are nice and soft so you don’t get hurt as much as we do.” - Alastair Cook

“No pads, orange balls and the bats made out of plastic.” - Matthew Hoggard

“You can play in your back garden and you won“t be breaking any windows or anything like that. You can keep your parents happy. Because it is quick and quite good fun, everyone can get involved in it. Mum and dad can get involved in it as well. No one’s going to get injured. It is pretty good fun.” - Owais Shah

“The actual basics of the game are the same. You have to bowl the ball and you try and whack it. As a kid you always try and whack it for six, and catching it is a huge part of the game. So the basics of the game are pretty much the same. Obviously the higher up the scale you get the tougher it gets, the faster it becomes, the ball does a little bit more, but generally it’s pretty much the same.” - Michael Vaughan

“We are quite lucky because we get nutritionists and they sit down and plan out what you are going to be doing, what activities you are doing, what sort of things you should be eating, and then they give you the choice of where you should be going and then they put the onus back on you, make sure you can have the choice.” - Matthew Hoggard

“Pretty sound advice. It’s very simple. You have to look after your body because your body at the end of the day has to perform. If it doesn’t get looked after, if you drink too much, or you eat the wrong things, you don’t manage your lifestyle in terms of that kind of stuff you are going to fail.” - Kevin Pietersen

“It differs on when we are training hard, probably everyone has heard of these protein diets, getting rid of carbohydrates. There are a few of the guys doing those kinds of things. When it comes down to matches and playing and staying fit for cricket, keeping a balanced diet is always the way to go. Try and keep fats to a minimum, but otherwise, keeping a balanced diet.” - Matthew Prior

“Eating regularly, especially when you are training, especially in the heat with plenty of energy foods. Lots of fruit, and also drinking plenty of water, which is a massive thing.” - Ryan Sidebottom

“Basically it is all about having a balanced diet and knowing when to eat the right foods after exercise and before exercise. So you have a lot of carbohydrates before and after exercise, and a lot of proteins to repair the muscles.” - Graeme Swann

“Generally just have a balanced diet. I’m fortunate with my body build not to put on too much weight but it’s more a feel good factor. Eating all the right foods helps me become more confident so generally that’s why I do it.” - Michael Vaughan

“Exercise really. I’m a massive believer of going out and getting great exercise. As long as you’re fit and healthy and active while you’re outside, you can eat a lot more and you’ve got a lot more variety than you do if you sit still and just be a couch potato.” - Matthew Hoggard

“Exercise really. I’m a massive believer of going out and getting great exercise. As long as you’re fit and healthy and active while you’re outside, you can eat a lot more and you’ve got a lot more variety than you do if you sit still and just be a couch potato.” - Kevin Pietersen

“The first thing I would say is lots of exercise. Especially in this day and age with computer games and videos and DVDs and all these things, kids don’t get out as much as they could do. I think diet is important but actually exercise is more important. The guys here in the England team know they can pretty much eat what they want as long as they are training hard, so whether it be a game of football, touch rugby, go for a run, whatever it might be, I think exercise is key.” - Matthew Prior

“I think just regular exercise, being outside. When you finish school instead of going on the computer, go outside, get some mates together, anything, go round your girlfriend’s house and have a walk in the park or play football. Basically get outside and do something.” - Ryan Sidebottom

“I think they should just get outside and play. Enjoy the sunshine, get the bats and balls out and play. You don’t want to be stuck in front a computer all day eating crisp and sweets because you just get fat and spotty.” - Graeme Swann

“Do plenty of exercise. Try and keep a balanced diet but don’t get too picky about it. You are allowed to eat the odd burger and the odd packet of chips, but try and make it balanced.” - Michael Vaughan

“I just think it is a way of life. It’s nice to eat nice food and if it’s good for you it’s got to be a good thing rather than just eating junk food the whole time which although is nice doesn’t actually do you any good in later life.” - Alastair Cook

“Healthy eating to me means having things in proportion. Always making sure there is a proper balanced diet that you get every day and making a variety. It doesn’t have to be boring.” - Matthew Hoggard

“Healthy eating just means that all round you can manage your lifestyle; you can get yourself involved in getting your body right in preparation for a big fixture or for any fixture. Most fixtures now on the international circuit are massive fixtures so you’ve got to eat right, you’ve got to train right, do the right things to your body, because if you don’t look after your body you’re going to have a very short career.” - Kevin Pietersen

“Everything in moderation is usually a good way of thinking about stuff. For me fruit and vegetables are key.” - Matt Prior

“Obviously apart from keeping me fit and healthy, I need to eat healthy to get plenty of energy especially for bowling so plenty of pasta and vegetables on a regular basis, to keep me in shape, keep me fit and healthy.” - Ryan Sidebottom

“Healthy eating to me is all about having a balanced diet. I have been raised to believe that and I think i’’s very true.” - Graeme Swann

“Depends where I am probably. On the subcontinent you can’t eat the English food, but probably the most would be a roast dinner.” - Alastair Cook

“What do I miss when I am on tour depends on which country I am in. On the sub continent you miss your homely stuff, but when you are in places like Autralia, South Africa, and the Caribbean you get everything so there is not anything I particularly miss. In the subcontinent you miss your salads and your fruit because you don’t eat salads and fruit in the sub continent.” - Kevin Pietersen

“When we are away we get to eat plenty of healthy food. With it being the England team we get a lot of things put on for us which are pretty healthy like fruit. Probably one thing I do miss is my shepherd pie from home.” - Ryan Sidebottom

“When I am on tour I have a vice which is biscuits, but I do miss the odd biscuit every now and again, but as I said, only once in a while as part of a balanced diet, it is very good.” - Graeme Swann

“We’ve got special energy bars and bananas. But we’ve got special drinks as well that help boost our energy and get in there quicker.” - Matthew Hoggard

“Bananas and pastas, lots of energy drinks and plenty of water. When you are bowling it’s hot and sweaty so you’ve got to make sure you are rehydrated but bananas are always on the boundary which have plenty of energy and quick fast energy which is good.” - Ryan Sidebottom

“I’m going to have to say Lords. They always prepare great food at the home of cricket and they always give you a great variety so there is a lot of choice.” - Matthew Hoggard

“You don’t beat anything at Lords. Lords is magnificent. I mean it’s like a restaurant. They give you anything you want and the choices are pretty substantial so they fill your plate, fill you up and off you go!” - Kevin Pietersen