After more than 20 years as a professional cricketer, Paul Nixon has a reputation to be envied. He’s the farmer’s son done good and he talks fast on his upbringing, that world cup game and a bright future for the county.

Dean Eldredge: Let’s begin with your upbringing in Carlisle…
Paul Nixon: Well, I was born in Carlisle, but was brought up in Penrith on a flat piece of land, within a valley. My father was a farmer, who was passionate about cricket and football. Incredibly, he played cricket for 44 seasons and played football in to his fifties. I owe so much to him as he pushed me away from the farming and urged me to concentrate on my sport.

DE: So how did the area compare to living in Leicester?
PN: The sad thing was that Cumbria C.C. was only a minor county and Carlisle United F.C. had limited success. We did have the famous moment when our goalkeeper, Jimmy Glass, scored from a corner in the 95th minute to keep the club in the Football League. However, to watch county cricket, I had to travel quite a way to see the likes of Lancashire or Yorkshire.

DE: What were your first recollections of cricket?
PN: With my father being involved with Carlisle United, my first memories were of playing football and rugby until the age of 15. I actually captained all three sports at county level and at the age of 16 I was fortunate enough to be offered the opportunity to work at Lord’s, as a member of the ground staff. My breakthrough came in 1987, when Leicestershire’s wicket-keeper, Phil Whitticase, picked up an injury. I was offered a trial for the 2nd XI and earned a playing contract with the club. Two years later I made my first-team debut.

DE: Looking back over your career, who would you say has had the most influence on you?
PN: Firstly, my father, who invested so much time in me, both in terms of coaching and in ferrying me around from home, to training and matches. The likes of Nigel Briers, James Whitaker, Jack Birkenshaw and Bobby Simpson have all had an influence, but I think that Briers would have to stand out as he believed in me when I was young.

DE: Moving on to this season. Where do you gain your optimism from, given that the club has had some difficult years of late?
PN: It starts with the people that we’ve signed, who are not only very good cricketers, but are also excellent characters. This is supported by the backroom staff, who have great belief in our players and through what Tim Boon (Senior Coach) has done, which is tremendous. We have a conveyer belt of young talent coming through and they will be ready for the challenges ahead. Add all this to the club maturing from the last couple of seasons and I see many reasons to believe we will be successful.

DE: Surely one of the challenges that you will face this season will be to knit together a clutch of young players, Kolpak players and new signings, and mould them to your own winning mentality…
PN: Yes and no. We use a ‘buddy’ system, where we match a senior pro with a young player. Our youngsters are like sponges and they soak up the wisdom from the more experienced guys, which will benefit them in the long run. We are also trying to get our cricketers to be more self-aware, by investing in the mental side of their game.

DE: Moving on, how much of a surprise was it to be selected for the 2007 Cricket World Cup?
PN: To be fair, I’ve always known, since I was a kid, that I’d play international cricket. Everything I’ve done in cricket was geared to reaching that standard, which began with sprint training as a teenager until 11pm and has seen me play in Australia and in a World Cup. I’m a good, honest and consistent cricketer and thankfully Duncan Fletcher and Michael Vaughan bought in to that, which culminated in us coming so close to beating Sri Lanka…

DE: That game was really something…
PN: It was a classic example of a senior player (Nixon) working well with a younger talent (Ravi Bopara). We were so close. So close. I still believe that if I’d been at the crease at the end, we would have won. It was incredible…and I’ve watched the video at least a hundred times, wondering whether I could have played any differently.

DE: How did you cope with the press and public reaction to what was deemed as a poor campaign?
PN: Their opinions are important, but you can’t take everything to heart. As long as you can clean your teeth at the end of the day, knowing that you gave your best, then the rest is out of your hands.

DE: Talking of the end of the day, how do you relax away from the game?
PN: I keep myself busy with a property development in the Bahamas, with friends – www.portstgeorge.com. I also enjoy watching the City, the Tigers and playing golf with the rest of the County lads.

DE: I couldn’t have imagined you as a sofa and soap opera type…
PN: Haha! I don’t watch TV at all. The only time I do nothing is for two weeks every year, when I go away with the missus and just lie on a beach. The truth is I do enjoy being busy…

DE: Do you think that is linked to you being an only child?
PN: Without a doubt. I don’t enjoy my own company at all! Seriously, I’m a nightmare on my own and I love to be around other people. Last year was the World Cup and my benefit, so I kept myself very busy.

DE: Going back to the game itself, you’re known as a very competitive individual. What role do you believe sledging has within cricket?
PN: There are lines and boundaries that you really shouldn’t cross. Steve Waugh refers to it as ‘mental disintegration’. I remember, as a kid, giving Graham Gooch and Robin Smith a bit of stick and they both went on to get hundreds! As long as you do your research and ensure that you don’t go too far, then I think it’s part and parcel of the game.

DE: What are your thoughts on the work of your colleague, Jeremy Snape, in terms of the mental side of the sport?
PN: He’s just been out at the IPL (Indian Premier League) and has completed his psychology degree, alongside playing county level and at the top level for England. The work that he does with mental and physical pre-ball routines is first-class and we have kids as young as 10 now working on this…

DE: What tips do you have for those that suffer from nerves in sport?
PN: In terms of preparation, I would keep a diary and make notes on everything that you do. We have our personal encyclopedia and it helps us to pinpoint where we are going wrong. Too many people worry about uncontrollable elements. A common mistake is to look at the opposition and say, for example, “Look at the size of them, they’re much bigger than us!” A large sportsperson doesn’t necessarily mean a successful one and either way you can’t control their size, so it’s best to just get on with your own game.

DE: You mentioned Steve Waugh earlier and I’ve read that you were quite close when you played together briefly at Kent. How did that relationship come about?
PN: It was through circumstance more than anything. We were the only two players that played for the club, whilst living in Canterbury. I picked him up, took him out to eat and generally helped him to settle in the area, the same as I would have done for anyone in that situation. We got on so well and he has such an aura around him, rather similar to that of Martin Johnson.

The dedication of the man was never more evident than after playing cricket all day, he would switch on his laptop to check what his children had done at school, in Australia, the previous day. He would then e-mail the tutor his thoughts back and would also reply to his children. He’s a truly great man and is a real leader in every aspect of the term.

DE: What could you take from him, even though you were only together for a few weeks?
PN: The refreshing thing was that he was nervous himself before games, believe it or not. His preparation was second to none and he would always emphasise to everyone the positives. In British society, we are too keen to point out negatives, or the worst in people, which is often to our detriment.

DE: Moving back to Leicester as a city, what does it mean to you?
PN: Back in 1987, I didn’t even know where Leicester was, let alone know anything about it! The nineties were an amazing period, in terms of sport. The likes of Martin O’Neill, Steve Walsh and Muzzy Izzet were great chaps and the camaraderie was tremendous. In fact, we even had Pat Howard, from the Tigers, field for us as a substitute in one game!

This city has been great to me and only recently I put my name down to support the ‘One Leicester’ brand, because I really feel the place is going in the right direction.

DE: Do you see yourself always having a base in Leicester, beyond your cricketing career?
PN: I would imagine so. I may want to move slightly further north, but we’ve got so many friends here and it’s a city that will always have a place in my heart.

DE: You mentioned the success of the sports teams of the nineties, what do you think to the current crop?
PN: In professional sport it is all about small margins. It’s been a difficult year for the City. The Tigers are always going to be there or thereabouts as they are an institution. With ourselves, it is important that we learn from our Twenty20 successes and build upon that. One thing is for certain, I haven’t felt as excited about my cricket for a long while.

DE: Tell us about the dynamic between yourself and Tim Boon?
PN: It goes back years, as he used to help me when I started out, by hitting balls at me when he opened the batting with Nigel Briers. We have complete trust in each other as people, and as professionals, and he’s been a good friend of mine for twenty years. In my view, he is the best technical coach in the world. Our pre-season this year has been the best I’ve ever had. The training has been that varied that we’ve had Olympic athletes, psychologists and tai chi experts in to work with us.

DE: Anything you would change about the game to improve it?
PN: Well, I wouldn’t be surprised to see regional cricket happen in England, such as Boddingtons Manchester vs Vodaphone London. The concept and structure of the IPL in India is thrilling for players and fans alike. Powerplays are also a great addition, as I’m a strong believer in weeding out mediocrity.

DE: What was your experience of the Indian Cricket League?
PN: Nothing short of magnificent. The Indian public’s love for the game is phenomenal and with the 2010 Commonwealth Games being held there the economy is looking a lot stronger. I stayed in Delhi and thoroughly enjoyed the experience.

DE: What do you envisage doing once your career in cricket comes to an end?
PN: I’ve just signed a three-year deal, so hopefully my legs will hold up until then…

DE: I did read a quote from you saying that the 2011 World Cup is still a realistic aim of yours…
PN: I called it and who knows? If I’m taking catches and averaging good scores throughout 2010, then why not? Personally, age shouldn’t be an issue. Mark Ramprakash is the best batsman in the country, yet he’s still not selected for England.

DE: Do you still see yourself being involved in the game when you pack away the gloves?
PN: I love coaching and I’ll look at getting some coaching qualifications over the next couple of winters. I’ve also got business interests and I’m quite entrepreneurial at heart, but I’ll just see how things go over the next three years.

DE: Finally, Paul, what would you like to be your cricketing legacy?
PN: To be thought of as a fun, positive guy, who gave his all for his team, whatever the situation. Before then though, I want to win trophies for Leicestershire. It is a dream that I’m determined to make a reality.