'I think I'm a bit more mature now'

"Yeah, it's been tough, reading the stuff that you [Malcolm Conn, Daily Telegraph] have been writing about me, it's been hard but the thing that happens - you make mistakes and you suffer the consequences. and you learn from those mistakes. I think I'm a bit more mature now. It's about getting down to business and playing as good a cricket as I can and scoring runs for Australia."

"As everyone we all had to prepare as if we were playing, and two days out you sort of know in your own mind if you're going to play or not. And I felt I did everything that I could possibly do to prepare for that first Test and I probably had an inkling in the last training session that I wasn't going to play just due to the fact you generally have that full amped session where everyone is ready to go. So we got notified the night before and I wasn't playing and it was up to me to go back to my room and try and think about what I can do to get back into this team."

"We're all on the same time path anyway so I'm not going to lose much sleep. The ideal thing was that this Australia A tour was put on at this time for this very reason, so that we could go over there and play cricket if need be. I'm just happy I'm getting the opportunity to go there. You see some of these county wickets here, they're nice and green and as you saw the wicket the other day, it was a bit dry. So if I was to play a country game here…but now I've got the opportunity to go and play for Australia A and get some runs on the board."

"I'd like to think I'm definitely up there for a chance to be back. Hopefully we're winning and all the guys are scoring runs and it's going to be hard for me to get back in. I want that to happen and that's how fickle this environment is. If you stuff up or you're not scoring runs the next person is going to take that opportunity and as long as we're winning I'm happy."

"He is a guy who will call a spade a spade and will pull you up if you are out of line. The fortunate thing is that I have grown up playing grade cricket and State cricket and he has always pulled me into line when every I have been going a little bit wayward. Having him back here is like another father for me. It is exciting for me and exciting for the team."

"That's something I picked up from Mike Hussey and Ricky Ponting. You would be up in the changeroom about to have a shower and you would look out there and go why are they still out there? You actually start learning that to help your team-mates you have to do those extra things, whether it is waiting half an hour after training to do your stuff. A lot of the guys do that. I've caught on that you have to give this 100% not go at 60 or 70% and be content with that."