Every ball went exactly where I wanted it to go until the ball that got me out

Despite recent sad developments, cricket will survive and remain our most noble game and I shall always remain proud of the part I played in its history and development.

When considering the stature of an athlete or for that matter any person, I set great store in certain qualities which I believe to be essential in addition to skill. They are that the person conducts his or her life with dignity, with integrity, courage, and perhaps most of all, with modesty. These virtues are totally compatible with pride, ambition, and competitiveness

The game of cricket existed long before I was born. It will be played centuries after my demise. During my career I was privileged to give the public my interpretation of its character in the same way that a pianist might interpret the works of Beethoven.

I was never coached; I was never told how to hold a bat.

May cricket continue to flourish and spread its wings. The world can only be richer for it.

When you play test cricket, you don't give the Englishmen an inch. Play it tough, all the way. Grind them into the dust.