Ricky Ponting Quotes

Our sport probably has the best history and tradition of being engaged in international competition.

Sporting achievements bestow a sense of unification on the cultures and societies in which they take place and create an outpouring of nationalism and pride.

A weak, insecure nation needs sporting heroes, players larger than life on the cricketing field, who can transcend the limitations of their country and team.

I am hugely proud to have played for Ireland.

India buzzes for its players and that makes you feel special.

It's a fun day, a day which kicks off the start of our tour, it's got great tradition - Australian cricketers just love tradition - and it's been a really pleasant day.

With just about every player in Australia, his whole goal and ambition is to play for Australia. That's why they're playing first class cricket. It's just a different attitude.

Victories in sport do more to cement the nation than 100 political slogans.

It's the biggest thing in the world in many ways, football. People don't want to talk about politics. They don't want to talk about religion. They want to talk about football - wherever you go.

Personally, just being able to compete in an Olympics, being part of an Opening Ceremony wearing a green jacket with the rest of the Australian Olympic team, would be a more than a dream come true.

Get picked for an Ashes Test at Lord's and you know you're going to meet the Queen. She arrived before the start of our game against Australia in 2013 and we lined up for inspection like the household cavalry on Horse Guards Parade.

I think every Indian knows how to play cricket.

The 2012 Olympics is a fantastic incentive for everyone to help leave a sporting legacy and show that Britain is truly a great sporting nation.

Finns love if their athletes do well, then they support.

But, without a doubt, my favourite thing? It's sitting in a change room like this after a match. There's no time frame on how long you'll sit there. There's no formality. You're just enjoying each other's company, thinking about cricket.

We have this beautiful tradition at Bayern that we all get together with our families after the game in a room and celebrate the wins. That is why it hurts a lot more when we lose.

You know there is something a little bit special about an Ashes.

At Barca, we always have an obligation to win and to do it in style for our fans in the stadiums and around the world.

You know, when you are the Italian national team, all the time you need to win because for our history, it is important for us to try to win the World Cup.

The Australians are a weird bunch - until the cricket starts they're really friendly, saying 'good luck' all the time, but the moment the cricket begins they have a real go at you.

When you play for your country, you remember all your performances, starting from the Under-19 days.

When you look at the U.S., it's a little weird, man because we have so many other sports and other things that we can watch and support that it's hard to get the support of an entire country around you.

French people love sport, and they love their national teams even more.

I have loved cricket my whole life, from playing in the garden as a child, and will never underestimate how special it is to pull on an England shirt.

A football team represents a way of being, a culture.