Steve Smith

“The thing for me is my defence: as long as my defence is in good order then I feel the rest of my game can expand from there.”

“Everyone makes mistakes; it's about the way you respond to it that's really important.”

“It's the pinnacle of Australian cricket, playing in an Ashes series.”

“When you're in good form and hitting the ball well you want to keep playing as much as you can and not have too much of a break.”

“When I am out there I pay no attention to the crowd and just move on with playing the game.”

“I don't like watching others batting and scoring runs I could be scoring. It is nice to see guys being successful but at the same time I want to be the one out there doing it.”

“It depends upon the make-up of the team where I'm going to bat.”

“If you look at the best players around the world, they sum up what people are trying to do and adapt to it and are willing to change and have the confidence to change what they are doing to get the right outcome.”

“Particularly when I'm batting, I don't really hear anything that's going on. I block it all out. Maybe a little bit when I'm fielding but then again, it's just words. It doesn't affect me. If people want to say things then go for it.”

“It did help having a lot of exposure to international cricket at such a young age. That showed me what I need to do to be successful at that level.”

“I watch the game pretty closely and think of a few things that I'd do perhaps differently to what's going on and throw up ideas here and there as well.”

“If I am bowling in a game, that means we're in trouble. So hopefully, it doesn't happen too often.”

“I think you always need some luck when you score big runs.”

“You can't score runs if you're sitting in the dressing room.”

“I've performed pretty well in the games I've captained Australia in and hopefully I can keep it up.”

“It's always tough playing India in India.”

“I have always seen myself more as a batsman than a bowler.”

“The on-field stuff, setting fields, changing bowlers, that's the easy part. It's making sure all your players are on the same page with what your plans are and what you want from your players and the team. That's the biggest challenge and what you really need to get right if you want your team to be successful.”

“To be able to say I am an Ashes-winning captain... just hearing those words and saying them myself is pretty special.”

“I've just aimed to go out with a clear mind; to try not to premeditate my shots and if I'm going to play a few big shots I try to have a few deliveries under my belt first; have my eye in a bit better.”