'Fewer hookers in Soho on a Saturday night'

What they said about precognition, KP, the doosra, team composition and more
January 2, 2015

MS Dhoni: head and shoulders the most quotable cricket personality of the year, with two entries in this article © Getty Images

"The way they [Venus and Serena Williams] hit it, they're more than welcome to bat at the top of the order. I might have to slide down a few spots."
T20 record holder Aaron Finch is impressed with the batting skills of the tennis champions

"Whenever we have played with four fast bowlers, two things happen. One the captain gets banned, two we lose."
MS Dhoni has practical reasons for sticking with two spinners overseas

"I wish I was Kane Williamson."
Australia fast bowler Kane William Richardson is in awe of his New Zealand namesake who scored five ODI fifties in a row

"I even learned English by the end of that series. You know how much the Australians like to talk on the field."
Harbhajan Singh recalls the 2001 series in which he snapped up 32 Australians

"In my playing days the ice was kept for the beers."
Michael Holding isn't a fan of such modern post-match fitness routines as the ice bath

"I stood next to her because I thought height-wise we were pretty similar."
Sunil Gavaskar recalls meeting the Queen at Buckingham Palace during the 1975 World Cup

"I am not Jesus Christ! I don't know what's going on in his mind."
Not being divine, Darren Sammy cannot tell what Chris Gayle is thinking at any given moment

"Part of me would love to put my name into the mix, but I would want KP in the team and lose 10 support staff."
Shane Warne on being asked if he is interested in becoming the England coach

"We will try the laundry. That's good, will keep us clean."
MS Dhoni is at his facetious best when asked how the players will ensure a clean IPL this year

"Contrary to popular belief I actually have a really good relationship with most of the guys in the [England] dressing room."
A shocking revelation from Kevin Pietersen

"I'm so nervous around water I check the bath for sharks."
Michael Clarke fesses up to one of his biggest fears, after agreeing to sail for charity

"I have seen fewer hookers in Soho on a Saturday night."
Bob Willis is appalled after several English batsmen perish to a certain shot in their loss to India at Lord's

"I've been trying to hit as straight as possible, so I'm very happy with the shot. I'm not going to apologise for it."
Mitchell Johnson is not sorry for breaking the glass in the commentators' box at the Harare Sports Club

"At least when Zimbabwe beat us in '83 we were drinking cans the night before. And lots of them."
After Australia's loss to Zimbabwe, former fast bowler Rodney Hogg explains what may have gone wrong 31 years ago

"I have enjoyed when a gorgeous cricket ball declines the advances of my well-manicured cricket bat. But loaded with the perseverance of a sincere lover, my bat wins."
Gautam Gambhir goes all Barbara Cartland in his newspaper column

"I am happy they [England] gave us [India] the game of cricket, which they can't play very well, and the English language, which I can't speak very well."
Kapil Dev gets cheeky after receiving a lifetime achievement award at the House of Lords from the Indo-European Business Forum

"Speak to my wife, we should have kept going!"
Geoff Marsh on the fact both his sons - Shaun and Mitchell - are now Australian Test cricketers

"What will happen with the FTP is far above my pay grade."
Brendon McCullum would rather not talk about the ways of the ICC

"A person is made of this earth, which has not been discovered completely yet." Saqlain Mushtaq waxes philosophical when asked if there can be further innovation to the doosra

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Comments have now been closed for this article

Posted by Imran on (January 3, 2015, 17:20 GMT)

Ok good article to read but not that Good

Posted by Dummy4 on (January 3, 2015, 15:47 GMT)

It's only been a couple weeks but I think 2014 will be remembered mostly for Phil Hughes!

More in 2014 review

  • An era ends

    In 2014, South Africa knocked over a fortress but also said goodbye to two colossus players

  • Triumph, tragedy and growth

    Australia experienced extremes on and off the field, but the biggest takeaway was their strength of character in the aftermath of Phillip Hughes' death

  • Trouble behind closed doors

    The fallout of the withdrawal from the India tour, captaincy changes, and lack of clarity on the future of some senior players made it a bleak year for West Indies

  • Lambs abroad

    A young Test side showed some steel and engineered a famous win but missed several opportunities to establish dominance

  • 'Fewer hookers in Soho on a Saturday night'

    What they said about precognition, KP, the doosra, team composition and more

Images of the year

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