It has been an eventful year of cricket - and here are some of the verbal highlights from the last 12 months. See if you can match mutterings to mouths. Scroll to the foot of the page to find out who said what...

A: "If you die, you die. You don't see which is a better way to die."

B: "It has been 16 years since I first played a Test match for India, and I feel it's time for me to move on and let a new generation of players make their own history."

C: "Misbah is a very sensible person, cool minded. We sit down together, discuss things, have no ego problems. I feel very comfortable with Misbah."

D: "It's tough being me in this dressing room."

E: "Let me be clear - this is not just an issue between the captain and Kevin. There are deeper issues, certainly of trust and mutual respect that need to be addressed. There are unresolved issues that have reared their heads in recent weeks, and they have to be resolved before there is any way forward."

F: "In truth I haven't batted well enough for a long period of time now. For a captain to perform his role properly, it's important that you're not a passenger in the side and that people aren't speculating as to whether you should be in the side or not."

G: "We aren't here for archaeology."

H: "All the hard work paid off today. The West Indies are finally going well again, we have a great future."

I: "You can't go into this for a bit of fun, it's a serious sport, a serious business. I found that out over the past few months, doing the sparring, doing the training. There will be critics and doubters out there and it's a big task I've taken on."

J: "Coach Mike Hesson said I wasn't a good enough leader, that this team needs a strong leader and that I wasn't a strong leader. If I wasn't a strong leader why would he give me the Test captaincy?"

K: "It's a decision I thought long and hard about, put in long consideration about the decision, at the end of the day it was about my results and my output in this series so far. It hasn't been to the level required for batsmen and players in the Australian team."

L: "I am extremely humbled. For us it means the world, there are people in our set-up who have taken many beatings on tours of Australia. We know what is required to win here, we have been a part of something really incredible and special. This is the proudest achievement of my career."

M: "I think it's on a par with the Ashes. As an Englishman, winning in Australia after so long meant a huge amount. But in that dressing room there for that last half an hour, knowing what we had achieved, it was a very special place and it will live long in my memory."

N: "It's a nice town, especially if you don't bring your wives, because then it is a very expensive trip for you."

O: "It's not the first time Michael Clarke has given up chasing Lara."

P: "I'll take dog, I've been called worse so dog's a compliment."

Q: "He now knows what most of us have felt throughout our career, so we've made it count."

R: "It hit me just above the knee-roll and when you're three foot nothing you don't have much of a chance."

S: "It's a one-off game, but I think we are going to keep it pretty lighthearted, if we can stay awake."

T: "It hasn't yet sunk in yet but I've definitely lost around 50 kilos."

U: "They click on a link to see the score in the morning and they go '28, oh, Ponting 30, these guys are struggling.'"

V: "We fielded like an Under-14 side."

W: "At the end of the season everyone was getting each other's signatures on their jerseys. I said I should get everyone's signature on my bib, since I wore it most of the time."

X: "I sleep the whole day after breakfast to get in shape for the game."

Y: "I had always asked him to have his hair cut, but he never listened to me. Then how was he ready to do such a big thing at my behest?"

Z: "If people call you a 'Ferrari without a steering wheel', at least you are a Ferrari. That means you are quality. They are not calling you a Toyota Prius."

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A: India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni's reply after he was asked if being whitewashed by Australia. was worse than suffering the same fate to England.

B: The veteran Rahul Dravid bowed out of Test cricket in characteristically modest fashion, handing the mantle to India's new school, led by the talented Virat Kohli.

C: Pakistan's management is oft-riddled with miscommunication, but coach Mohsin Khan insisted he knew where he stood with captain Misbah-ul-Haq after they hammered England in the UAE.

D: Short and sweet from poor Kevin Pietersen, who was dropped from the Test XI for the series decider against South Africa in the interest of team harmony.

E: Coach Andy Flower had more on the subject, as Pietersen's rogue messages to the visiting camp ultimately cost the player more than the nominal texting fee.

F: Wise to jump before he was pushed, Andrew Strauss also said goodbye to the international game with dignity.

G: England and Wales Cricket Board chairman Giles Clarke tried to draw a line under the Pietersen saga after his recall for the tour of India. Humour otherwise evaded the official.

H: In-form batsman Marlon Samuels was succinct in his celebration of the West Indies' World Twenty20 triumph.

I: Former England captain Andrew Flintoff before his professional heavyweight boxing debut. He recovered from an early setback to beat American Richard Dawson on points over four slap-heavy rounds.

J: It was an unceremonious dumping for former New Zealand captain Ross Taylor, who then unavailed himself for selection as a specialist batsman.

K: Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting knew his number was pretty much up, so did the right thing by drawing the curtain on a waning international career.

L: Conquering the last frontier by beating Australia in Australia, South Africa captain Graeme Smith basked in a superb run that took his side to helm of the Test rankings and beyond.

M: What Strauss could not do, his successor Alastair Cook easily achieved: a rare Test series triumph in India.

N: Sri Lanka batsman Mahela Jayawardene counted the cost of a trip to Kimberley - South Africa's diamond-mining capital.

O: Commentator Jim Maxwell recollected the influence of a certain Ms Bingle and the brilliance of one Brian Charles Lara and Michael Clarke's prolific pursuit.

P: Clarke was quick in retort, after team-mate Michael Hussey suggested his nickname graduate from 'Pup' to 'Dog' after the hefty nature of his Test form this year.

Q: Smith had a giggle after the otherwise record-breaking Jacques Kallis endured his first pair in Test cricket.

R: The diminutive Brendon McCullum knew he was not going to win a challenge, whether the Decision Review System was present or not.

S: Coach Gary Kirsten tried to stave off jet lag after a whirlwind trip from New Zealand to Durban.

T: The legendary Sachin Tendulkar's long wait for his 100th international century took its toll, but when the milestone arrived, the pressure was off.

U: Australia opener Ed Cowan was growing tired of the nation's armchair critics.

V: The Deccan Chargers got it very wrong against the Rajasthan Royals, according to coach Darren Lehman.

W: The Pune Warriors couldn't find any space for Bangladesh batsman Tamim Iqbal in their XI, ever.

X: West Indian big-hitter Chris Gayle's general approach and gameplan is a simple one.

Y: Disgraced former Pakistan captain Salman Butt insisted he was not behind fast bowler Mohammad Amir's spot-fixing, but there was no hiding in the end.

Z: Windies pace ace Tino Best, at his animated best, after former England fast bowler Devon Malcolm criticised the West Indian's waywardness.