To me, being Australian is about looking after your mates, taking care of the less fortunate, supporting the underdog and enhancing the spirit that makes all Australians unique.

Rahul is the kind of person who young cricketers can look up to; not only because of his success but also because of the way he conducts himself.

I suppose, because I am a sportsman and travel all over Australia, I see every day Australians doing small and large and often unnoticed deeds; many times I thought how nice it would be for them to be recognised, so I hope somehow that in receiving this honour that I represent these people.

It doesn't matter how pretty you look it's how many runs you get.

It's a hard life as a professional cricketer. It's not as easy as everyone makes out. To survive you need a tough hide.

Geez, I just played cricket because I loved the game. I never thought about it much, never really had any formal coaching.

You've got to have dreams to keep you going.