Jonathan Agnew Quotes

A disciplined, patient, defensive period in a Test match is not old fashioned and boring - it's essential.

I've always felt that when I've been successful in red-ball cricket it has been because I've left the ball well and sometimes in cricket the shots you don't play are more important than the ones you do.

I wasn't sure of the exact mindset you should have when you go into a Test match. So I probably became too defensive when I played my first Test match. Short balls in one-day cricket, I have never thought of just defending.

Test cricket tests your ability as a cricketer but also bring out your true character.

It is easy to get carried away in this Twenty20 era and think Test cricket has to be entertaining all the time.

You can get suckered into believing you have to always be attacking with the bat, ball or fielding positions. But Test cricket is not always like that. There are times when it is a bit slow paced and even a bit boring.

I know Test cricket is more about endurance. T20 is more about innovating, creating, and the energy at the wicket.

I am trying to take my ODI confidence to Test cricket.

Call me traditional, but Test cricket is the most important thing.

That's the main thing on defense: focus, patience and staying as one unit.

The want to get more runs increases when there is a dearth of it. At those times, it is important to be patient and keep your calm.

Guys are playing a lot of limited overs cricket and not making that adjustment when it comes to the longer version and pay a price for that.

I am an attacking batsman, but I've learned a lot about patience. There are clever bowlers who can pick your weak points, so I have to be a bit patient, play out a spell or two.

Even a good batsman requires a year or so in test cricket to settle down and play long innings.

In Test cricket, you have to be adaptable.

I know how important it is that test cricket is my main focus.

When you are playing the longer version, there are times when you don't have to get bat on ball on a regular basis but maybe a good leave outside the off stump can play its part in you surviving and the time that you would like to spend on the crease.

Michael Atherton's powers of concentration never cease to amaze me. When you need reminding what Test-match batting is all about, who else would you have at the other end?

You have to be patient, efficient with your moves, and attuned to what's happening with your body physically. The key is not to rush or panic. You wait and wait and wait - and then strike.

There's more luck in poker. Getting good at golf requires a certain amount of physical aptitude. Both take a lot of patience. Both require knowing when to gamble - either with a big bluff or a high-risk shot. Both can be infuriating.

As a batsman, I want to stay as long as possible at the crease.

Test cricket is about respecting the opposition, the conditions and the circumstances.

I went to karate for about four years, and I learned a lot about focus and listening very good.

Mayweather waits for you to make a mistake. He plays a similar game to me.

In the same way that I cannot be perfect and need grace for my mistakes, I also need to give my kids grace. I am constantly learning to be patient with them, understanding that they won't do everything right all the time, while still holding them to a high standard, as their heavenly father does.