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

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.

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

Reading poetry and watching cricket were the sum of my world, and the two are not so far apart as many aesthetes might believe.

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

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.

Test Cricket is not a light-hearted business, especially that between England and Australia.