Is there anyone in cricket with more pressure on them than the players of Australia and England at the start of an Ashes series?

It's certainly far more stress than you or I have experienced as cricketers (unless you happen to be MS Dhoni). However, even club players feel pressure situations: Finals (maybe even on TV), league deciders and even the local derby where you play out your own mini Ashes-style rivalry.

What's worse than having a bad cricket technique?

Chances are you know someone who plays with niggles in the shoulder, hip or back. Chances are it is caused by improper technique. Injury rates are up massively in recent years but it's not because players have stopped trying to bat and bowl with proper technique, it's because their bodies are not letting them.

How often do we hear of top players with ability but without the mental strength to fight through?

To me, this demonstrates how cricket, at every level, can be a game of confidence. Technique, talent and fitness are important, but without the ability to ride success and shrug of failure it's all worthless.

How mentally tough are you and what would you like to learn about to improve it?

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This edition of Laws of Cricket, in association with the International Institute of Cricket Umpiring and Scoring, covers some more tricky questions of the Laws.

In 2005 the England cricket team won the Ashes in dramatic fashion. They were hailed by some a heirs to the world title with a young side of talented cricketers ready to take on, and beat, the world's best.

What happened was indifferent form culminating in a 5-0 whitewash at the hands of the very Australian side they had beaten less than two years before.

If shots go through fashions, we can safely say the sweep is this year's must have item. Have you been wondering how to play the sweep well?

The sweep is an excellent weapon for any batsman: when used correctly.

Frowned upon totally in its early days, the shot (and its range of variations) has become an acceptable, if difficult to learn, shot. But many coaches still shy away from teaching it, going down the safer route of a straight bat.

'Momentum' is hard to define in cricket, but you know when you have it: That feeling of being on top of the game.

Smart players and coaches know how to control momentum: to be in charge of the flow and pace of the game. They understand when to ride this wave of success. They also know when to take action to get it back if it starts to slip away.

The number one aim of any good cricket fitness plan should be to prevent injury.

It's not possible to score runs and take wickets if you are on the sidelines due to a hamstring strain or other preventable injury. So while being strong, supple, fast and athletic is an important element, it's important to start by making sure you do no harm.

Spinners have found a renaissance in the Twenty20 game. The slower pace and wider potential for variety makes the ball harder to hit.

However, when a spinner does come on, many batsmen decide it's time to go for the big hits.

What tactics can you use as a spinner to limit the damage someone can do?