T20 World Cup 2021: Who said what during the four-week tournament

Dubai, United Arab Emirates: Australia were crowned the 2021 Twenty20 World Cup champions on Sunday after beating New Zealand by eight wickets in the final.

AFP Sport looks at the best quotes from the four-week tournament:

“Really proud of Greaves, he had to sacrifice a lot. He was delivering parcels for Amazon not long ago and now he’s getting man of the match and playing against Bangladesh.”

— Scotland skipper Kyle Coetzer on Chris Greaves who smashed 45 and took the two key wickets of Shakib Al Hasan and Mushfiqur Rahim in a shock six-run win over Bangladesh.

“It was unacceptable, we accept that. These sorts of games sometimes, we just need to bin it.”

— West Indies skipper Kieron Pollard after his team were dismissed for just 55 in a six wicket loss to England.

“Attacking someone over their religion is the most pathetic thing that a human being can do.”

— India captain Virat Kohli after the team’s only Muslim player Mohammed Shami was viciously trolled on social media following the 10-wicket loss to arch-rivals Pakistan.

“If me taking a knee helps to educate others, and makes the lives of others better, I am more than happy to do so.”

— South Africa’s Quinton de Kock apologising after pulling out of the game against West Indies when the team was ordered by their board to make the anti-racism gesture. De Kock eventually aplogised and returned to the team.

“I think I’m the only person playing in the World Cup who goes home at night and does report writing for insurance companies back home.”

— Namibia’s Craig Williams on combining playing at the World Cup and catching up on his paperwork for his full-time job as a quantity surveyor.

“I think we’ve allowed them wings to fly. Those seeds will start to turn into some pretty good flowers.”

— Sri Lanka coach Mickey Arthur on his team’s future.

“It’s the end of a generation, we have some guys who have done good things for T20 cricket in our team and around the world.”

—West Indies skipper Kieron Pollard after the champions bowed out.

“I’ve shed blood, I’ve shed tears in West Indies cricket, you name it, one leg, one hand.”

— West Indies star Chris Gayle

“Our culture is all about pride. It’s all about being selfless. It’s all about courage. And then the main one is all about inspiration. Those four pillars are the pillars that’s kept us breathing for the last three years. Kept us going.”

— Namibia coach Pierre de Bruyn

File picture of Matthew Hayden. Getty

“Dean’s closing words to me I can hear in my ears were ‘These are my boys. This is something I’m so passionate about’. He was just beautifully connected to Pakistan cricket. May he rest in peace now, knowing that fact that he’s left a legacy within this team, which will last not only this generation but generations to come.”

— Pakistan batting coach Matthew Hayden on his fellow Australian Dean Jones who died at the age of 59 in 2020. Jones coached and commentated extensively in Pakistan.

“He is my main bowler and he has won many matches for Pakistan. Players drop catches but he is a fighter and I will back him.”

— Pakistan captain Babar Azam after Hasan Ali dropped Matthew Wade at a crucial point of the semi-final. Wade went on to hit three successive sixes off Shaheen Shah Afridi to win the match.

“It’s not the smartest thing he’s done there’s certainly an element of bad luck in the injury. He’s absolutely gutted to be ruled out like this at this time.”

— New Zealand coach Gary Stead after Devon Conway broke his hand punching his bat in frustration after getting out in the semi-final win against England.

“I can’t believe people wrote him off a couple of weeks ago, it was almost like poking the bear.”

— Title-winning Australian captain Aaron Finch on opening batsman David Warner who was voted man of the series.