WHEN I left home in Bradford yesterday morning to travel to London, the weather was completely miserable — it was cold, grey and absolutely precipitating. All of which told me it is that time of the year when my job takes me off somewhere hot to play cricket. It’s back to London on Monday to meet up with the England squad, then we fly to Pakistan on Tuesday.

I’ve been touring with England for five years and, before that, I used to spend six months playing in South Africa every winter, so going away is part of my life. On the whole, it’s something that I really look forward to and this tour is no different, although in Pakistan the Test series will, of course, be played in the aftermath of a terrible earthquake. I just hope that by playing some exciting cricket we can help to put a few smiles back on the faces of those who have suffered.

I toured Pakistan with England five years ago and I like visiting a country that most English people probably would not go to unless they had a reason; it’s not a place that many people go on holiday.

I enjoy experiencing different cultures, meeting different people and confronting new challenges on the cricket field. Most of all, we’re being paid for doing something we love, which is never a bad thing. I look on it as a working holiday.

The main downside to touring is two months spent away from my wife, family and dogs. Our wives tend to decide among themselves whether or not to accompany us on tour and they are not coming this time, but will probably come to India with us after Christmas. It’s never easy to spend so long away from your family, although if you ask Sarah, my wife, she might tell you that having a husband who goes away for weeks at a time is the recipe for a happy marriage.

That said, the situation regarding families on tour is different even from when I started touring. Then, wives and children were allowed to join the team only for a week or so; now they can come when they like and go when they like.

In my experience, it makes for a happier touring party when they are around. Players feel more relaxed and content if their families are around and that has got to be beneficial for performances on the pitch.

The presence of your nearest and dearest also adds variety to the company you keep. One of the biggest tests for any touring party is the huge amount of time you spend together. If you spend too long with the same people in any working environment, niggles are bound to creep in. Even if you are out sightseeing or having a round of golf, you’re still doing so with the same people.

At the same time, when the team is winning and the spirit in the camp is good, the atmosphere on tour is fantastic. This is another area in which it helps to have a settled team. We have got to know each other well over the last 18 months, so we know when someone needs picking up or when they need leaving alone. Some players can be different characters away from the dressing-room and their families, so it helps to know how people react in different environments. I think it goes without saying that winning the Ashes is a pretty good way of boosting team spirit and I’m sure we’ll maintain that in the coming weeks.

I’ve just about packed my bags for the tour. There’s one bag crammed full of cricket kit — that includes all my clothes, batting equipment and training kit, plus three pairs of bowling boots, one pair of batting spikes and a pair of flat-soled boots for warming up. As I’ve got size 11 feet, the shoes take up quite a lot of room.

Another bag contains the essentials for life lived out of a suitcase: the DVDs, the PlayStation and the books. I’ve also sneaked in a few little home comforts and nibbles that could come in handy, such as chocolate, Pot Noodles and Super Noodles, the sort of things you can rustle up in a minute in your hotel room and remind you of home at the same time. These little extras can help the time to fly by while you’re away.

SURVIVAL KIT ESSENTIAL READING

I WILL stock up with reading material when we get to the airport on Tuesday. I like to read all sorts of books, but especially crime fiction such as Michael Connelly and autobiographies of gangsters, such as The Guv’nor. On a lighter note, I’ve loved the Harry Potter books and thought the last one was fantastic.

Our DVDs will mostly be old comedy shows that we can catch an episode of when we have a spare half-hour, such as Blackadder, Porridge and Only Fools and Horses. My iPod has all sorts on it, but I’m partial to a bit of country and western and Irish folk stuff. I like Kenny Rogers and the Clancy Brothers, but I won’t be singing them in the dressing-room like certain other members of our team tend to do.