NEW DELHI (AFP) – Who said what at the Cricket World Cup match on Tuesday, the 34th day of the 2023 tournament, as Glenn Maxwell set the competition alight with an undefeated double century and helped Australia beat Afghanistan to reach the semi-finals:
"Horrific, I feel shocking. It was quite hot when we were fielding, I haven't done a whole lot of high intensity exercise in the heat. It got a hold of me today, I was lucky to stick it out until the end."
-- Glenn Maxwell after his epic 201 not out led Australia to victory over Afghanistan and into the semi-finals.
"It would've been nice if it was chanceless, I've lived a very charmed life out there."
-- Maxwell on being dropped in his innings.
"Everyone wrote us off after two losses, we've won six in a row now and I hope that belief passes around our changing rooms."
-- Maxwell on reaching the semi-finals.
"A great win but Maxi was just out of this world. It's got to be the greatest ODI innings that has ever happened."
-- Australia skipper Pat Cummins.
"Just ridiculous. I don't know how you describe that."
-- Cummins searching for words to describe Maxwell's innings.
"I couldn't get on strike! I just let Maxi do his thing, how am I going to say anything to someone batting like that?"
-- Cummins on his support role. He was 12 not out but played his part by holding firm in an unbroken eighth-wicket stand of 202.
"Really disappointed. Cricket is a funny game, it was unbelievable."
-- Afghanistan skipper Hashmatullah Shahidi.
"This is the greatest ODI innings ever. It might be the greatest innings of any kind ever."
-- Former England captain Michael Vaughan on the BBC.
"Glenn Maxwell reminded us tonight about the intrinsic beauty, unpredictability and inspiring drama of this wonderful game. Thank you."
-- Former West Indies fast bowler Ian Bishop on X, formerly Twitter
"One of the greatest innings of world cup so far….Incredible batting @Gmaxi_32 you beauty what a way to finish a game with a win & a double. Perfect display of batting."
-- Pakistan's Kamran Akmal on X
"That was their political decision, we can't say anything about that. But if we had won this game, it would have been a slap in their face, but it was not our fate. Otherwise, we would have celebrated it a lot."
-- Afghanistan fan Mohammad Asif, 39, watching the game on TV at a restaurant in Kabul. Earlier this year, Australia boycotted a series against Afghanistan in protest, they claimed, at the treatment of women by the Taliban.
"Even if they lose all the matches, it's fine. But it made us so happy when they won the match against Pakistan. When they won against Pakistan, it was like we were bringing the World Cup home, I am that happy about it."
-- Another fan, Farhad Esakhil, 26, in Kabul.