The most destructive batsmen of our era

Virender Sehwag

Jeremy Snape told me a great story about him (Virender Sehwag) while we were working together in the Indian Premier League. Sehwag and Snape were batting for Leicestershire against Middlesex when Abdul Razzaq started reverse-swinging the ball in the way that the Pakistan bowlers do. Sehwag came up to Snape and said: 'We must lose this ball. I have a plan.' Next over, he whacked that ball clean out of the ground, forcing the umpires to pick another from the box that would obviously not reverse straight away. To which Sehwag said: 'We are alright for one hour.' Smart, I say - Shane Warne.

Chris Gayle

I don't mind the title of being the best Twenty20 player in the world - Chris Gayle

Sanath Jayasuriya

I have not seen Sir Don Bradman bat but I have had the privilege of playing against Jayasuriya and see him bat - Sachin Tendulkar

Kevin Pietersen

I was the guy in the England team who was there to win a session. If I bat for two or three sessions we stand a great chance of winning that Test match. That was my job. I did pretty well to score the number of runs I did at the average I did with so many man-of-the-matches - Kevin Pietersen

Sachin Tendulkar

There are two kind of batsmen in the world. One Sachin Tendulkar. Two all the others - Andy Flower

Shahid Afridi

It was fun out there. At one stage, Anil Kumble asked me where he should bowl to me so that I am not able to hit the ball - Shahid Afridi

MS Dhoni

Strike rate of 90+, average of 50+... statistics show that MS Dhoni is the best finisher of this world - Michael Clarke

Adam Gilchrist

He can hit the first ball he faces, or the best ball you bowl, for a four - Wasim Akram

AB de Villiers

I want to be the best, but I don't give a damn about statistics. You will have your end goal in mind, but you have to work hard to get there; ball by ball, innings by innings - AB de Villiers.

Lance Klusener

When you're in the zone and you're totally focused on the ball, you get an invincible feeling. It's not as soon as you come in to the crease: you play a few balls, get going, then suddenly you find yourself in that zone - Lance Klusener (in an interview with ESPNCricinfo).

Andrew Symonds

I used to hate watching him bat. He wasn't in control of his shot-selection ... he'd get 24 off an over and then go out on the last ball of that over - His childhood coach, Toot Byron.