A throwback to the best quotes from the 2019 World Cup, from the men who delivered some of the top moments and the ones who called them.
First published in the 2020 Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack
Nasser calls a ‘remarkable’ one
“No way! No, no way! You cannot do that, Ben Stokes. That is remarkable. That is one of the greatest catches of all time!”
– Nasser Hussain’s TV commentary on Stokes’s catch against South Africa
This day, last year.pic.twitter.com/WMIrYmpLgU
— Wisden (@WisdenCricket) May 30, 2020
‘We all make mistakes’ – in support of Smith and Warner
“I really hope they don’t get too much stick. We all make mistakes. We are human beings and we have feelings. I know deep down they are probably really good people. I just hope they get treated decently.”
– Moeen Ali calls for calm as Steve Smith and David Warner return from their ban
“Just because there’s so many Indian fans here, I didn’t want them to set a bad example, because he didn’t do anything to be booed, in my opinion. I felt bad, because if I was in a position where something had happened with me and I had apologised, accepted it and came back, and still I would get booed, I wouldn’t like it, either.”
– Virat Kohli after asking Indian fans to stop booing Smith at The Oval
“I don’t think I could do anything, or should do anything, to try to influence the fans to change their minds. They have committed something and they have served their penalty. It doesn’t necessarily mean they are welcomed back with open arms into the cricket community. Regaining trust takes a lot of time. Who knows how long it will take?”
– Eoin Morgan before England v Australia at Lord’s
Adam Zampa on his vegan diet
“It’s helpful for the environment and for the animals, too. So it’s good for everyone, but on the field I’m definitely lighter for it, that’s for sure.”
– Adam Zampa
The ‘uncontrollables’
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“Every time we get hit on our pad the finger goes up. When we hit the opposition on their pad, the finger stays down.”
– Carlos Brathwaite on the umpiring in West Indies’ defeat by Australia
“We put men on the moon, so why can’t we have a reserve day?”
– Bangladesh coach Steve Rhodes after another washout
The big one
“I saw some stats which said the soccer World Cup final attracted 1.6bn viewers. Tomorrow is likely to get 1.5bn. It doesn’t get bigger than that.”
– Pakistan coach Mickey Arthur before the game against India
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Time for some banter
“I have played against Kagiso many times, and if anything needs to be said we can discuss it man to man.”
– Virat Kohli on being called “immature” by Kagiso Rabada
Steve Smith and his endless obsession for batting
“Ricky Ponting was rooming about ten rooms up from me the other day and said: ‘Were you batting at seven o’clock this morning?’ He could hear me tapping on the ground.”
– Steve Smith on his batting obsession
Much more than lady luck
“The thing that kept me going was my wife and kids. She’s disciplined, selfless, she got me out of bed a lot in those first 12 weeks, got me back running and training hard.”
– David Warner pays tribute to Candice after his century against Pakistan
Pretty straightforward!
“He’s English, so no.”
– Jason Holder on whether Barbados-born Jofra Archer would make the West Indies team
A prequel for the Ashes summer?
“I didn’t bowl at him much in the nets, though. A lot of guys don’t want to face me or Oshane Thomas.”
– Jofra Archer on his IPL friendship with Steve Smith
Captain Morgan bats for his team
“When Kevin Pietersen comes out with a comment, it’s very similar to comments I address from Geoffrey Boycott. They are not ones that are considered good for a team environment and don’t have the best interests of the team or the player at heart. Guys are trying their heart out to do well for their country, trying to learn, trying to get better.”
– Eoin Morgan
