Ricky Ponting Quotes (183 Quotes)

They've certainly got a very good model in place. I think they've had a really good look at us over the last three or four years,

Looking back, I think I was wrong with what I said. I think I was speaking from an ideal world point of view, and not putting much emphasis into the growth of the game in world cricket, that is where I made the mistake. Maybe Bangladesh having Test status will take the game forward because that's what it is all about.

This England side 2004-5 have a different feel to them. They have a bit of a winning habit and winning culture which they haven't had for a while.

If it did happen, there's nothing the players can do about it, but I ask the crowd to show a bit more respect than what's being shown to the South Africans right at the moment.

Around the team I would have thought I have done most things right along the way,

We have got a lot of thinking about which make-up we are going in with. The wicket will have a little bit to do with that, but in the end we have got to pick the four bowlers who we think are most likely to take 20 wickets for us in the Test.

I was furious at a player being so disrespectful to himself, his teammates, his opponents and his country by turning up to play a game in that state, and I blurted out, 'He can go home then' to Gilchrist before heading off to speak to (coach) John Buchanan.

All the players really owed it to everybody concerned with organizing the game and all the people who turned up and the people who were watching on television all around the world to make sure it was really a competitive, good game of cricket.

I had big shoes to fill, but the way we have been playing has made the transition easy.

We did everything in our power to play the game in the right spirit. I don't know if he's trying to cover his own backside with a lot of these allegations directed at us now. It's all coming after some allegations were made against him about the way England conducted themselves. To be honest, I don't really care.

To have a week off in the middle of the season feels like a lot longer I think, so I feel really good. Hopefully I can go out there and get some runs.

I've been a pretty nervous coming into this gameI've my family up here and a lot of friends here as well to watch, and it always tends to make it a little bit harder for you to do well, but I was just really happy with the way I played.

There's one eye on looking a bit further ahead but we still feel that we're obviously putting a very good team on the park that obviously capable of winning this game.

I am totally against drop-in wickets anywhere in the world, it takes all the character away from the grounds,

He's a vital bowler, someone who's done exceptionally well for us and in big games, and that's what this is building up to be.

It was a bit of justice after what happened in England.

We knew that if we had to win the World Cup, the defensive side of the game had to be better, which means bowlers will have to bowl tight and we will have to field better.

We've probably never been in this situation before, where we're going into the last match of a series having to win to draw the series. I can't remember that in a long time,

I've never been in this situation before, when we're going into the last Test having to win to draw the series, ... But it might not be a bad thing for us, to tell the truth. Just to go out and play instinctively, play the brand of cricket we've played for a long time. There's almost a bit of pressure off now. If all the individuals just lift a little bit and play the way I know they can, I know the result will be different.

We have played so well that the guys have really made my job fairly easy.

You would have thought over 400 would be enough. But Herschelle and the boys were too good and they deserved their win.

This Australian cricket team is still the best cricket team in the world and as far as I'm concerned, the best sporting team in the world. For me to be the captain of that side is a great honor and a great thrill.

I was quite shocked to see so many people on the roads. There were women watching the procession from the podium. It was quite interesting.

Glenn McGrath six years younger, that's exactly what he's done for us.

There's no way they should have scored that many runs. South Africa will get something out of it. We must try and forget about it.

It's remarkable how much better you feel when you get away, even for a few days. You feel noticeably fresher. Decision-making is the first process that suffers when you are tired. If you are fatigued you start to make little mistakes that you wouldn't normally make.

They're England number two in the world now and have played excellent cricket of late, and I think both sides match up particularly well.

England fully deserved their result. The truth is they outplayed us for all four Tests after the first one,

I couldn't care about my own hundred, it was all about winning the series. It was a great wicket, but there was no way they should have scored as many runs as they did.

It's been a very good team performance from us, we have looked at lots of areas where we can improve our Test match cricket and we've certainly addressed some of those in this game,

It's nice to put your hand up and do the big things the team requires of you.

Sri Lanka pushed us all the way. We've been tested and bounced back stronger every time.

We're saying all the right things in our team meetings,

His average here is higher than other grounds, (but) he'll still play a big part because I think their batsmen will be a bit worried about our pace attack and they'll probably take a few more risks against Shane,

There's more happening in the 'papers than out on the field although there was a little bit of needle in Perth and there probably will be at different times her and in Sydney. But I think it's been done in a friendly way, at least that I know of, unless something happened out there today. But whatever happens on the field, you leave it there and get on with it.

But having said that, it's always an enjoyable tour because of the spirit between the two teams and the fact that South Africa are always incredibly competitive.

I had a little tantrum when I got out and sat in the dressing room with my head down for a while because I thought the game had slipped away from us.

As this series goes on, it would be pretty hard to chase runs. So hopefully, I'll win a few tosses.

I think he's probably had a good look at his game and had a look at how he got out in Australia, and tried to rectify that. It's up to us to come back with something different. We've spoken about him and we know what we want to do.

He almost plays as two bowlers when he is in the side, so if he doesn't play then we have got to think about a different make-up to the side. If he's not 100, he's got to be as close to 100 as possible - we can't afford for something to happen to him during the game and be left with only three bowlers so we are being extra cautious with him.

It hurt him a lot not taking part in the last test match so he will be pretty keen to prove everybody wrong.

I couldn't help thinking during the past two Tests that it's been very rare that we've been well and truly outplayed for the majority of two matches in a row and found ourselves under pressure for long periods, ... And basically suffering what other teams normally face against us. It's almost as if we've become those opposition teams, and England has suddenly become Australia.

Hopefully, the longer we make him bowl, the more mistakes he'll make,

With the amount of fast bowlers we've got in this squad at the moment, we'll look to rest players at different times.

I'm pretty happy to hand it over to Herschelle. He made 175 and was on the winning team. He deserves it more than me.

It is so artificial. There's a different shine coming off the red ball.

It's pleasing to get a hundred today but more pleasing that the team are seven for 340,

I am sure the exposure they have had against some top teams would have helped them but we don't want to bother about what they are capable of and want to focus on what we can do.

We are going in with five bowlers rather than our usual four, having taken into account the workload in South Africa.

We have been behind in series before, and we will simply remain calm and bring out some more good cricket to try and turn things around.