The 35-year-old cricketer’s beloved dad John passed away unexpectedly in August and he’s determined to do his best in all his games in order to make his parent proud.

He told The Guardian newspaper: “It happened during the Hundred and it was quite raw. He hadn’t been well for a while but it was still a shock when he passed away.

“It’s given me a new appreciation of cricket and I’ve actually found a lot of determination to do my best because that was all he ever wanted me to do.

“Now, every time I play I find myself looking at the sky quite a lot and imagine him watching down.”

And while he’s still driven to win, the loss of Jos’ father has put things into perspective.

He added: “It’s been a tough time but it’s given me a deeper appreciation for how much he and my mum did for me. I still really want to win and you feel disappointed when you don’t do well.

“But it’s not the be-all and end all as the loss of a parent really gives that perspective.”

The sportsman is trying to take his grief a day at a time.

He said: “A few people who have been through the same experience said: ‘Don’t judge yourself for how you feel. There’re times when you feel happy and you’re having a good time. Don’t think you shouldn’t because your dad passed away four weeks ago.’

“It’s also OK to feel sad. Don’t just ignore it, you’ve got to try to deal with it. So I’m taking it slow and we’ll see how it goes.”