Quotes from Harbhajan Singh

You don't become the leading spinner of the team by just talking. You have to perform well consistently over a long period of time. I have bowled well and won games for India. That is why I am the No. 1 spinner. Every time I have taken the field, I have given my 100%.

Happiness comes out of contentment, and contentment always comes out of service.

Sometimes I just get over-excited. I see the pitch and I think, 'I have to get this wicket.' When I am just looking to bowl, I am calm and composed, and most of the time I get it right. The ball lands where I want it to.

I am just enjoying what cricket has given me. In sports, it's obviously really important for all of us to remain fit - and health is wealth, so health comes with the sport.

I am proud to be a Sikh and am a true disciple of Guru Gobind Singh, who sacrificed his entire family for the Sikh religion.

There have been a few friends who have taught me some great lessons in life. I wouldn't like to name them. They did things that I never expected out of them that left me heart-broken. It was during these rough patches in life that they left me alone. I know now that it was only my position that they were interested in.

The batsman does not always need to create big hits. He can hit a boundary, then pick up some singles and still gets nine runs. To avoid that, I need to plan in a way where he must look to hit wherever there is a fielder. That is what is called 'bowling to the field.'

There are days where you do everything right and nothing goes in your favour.

Being a professional cricketer, you have to adapt to the conditions quickly. It takes time to get rhythm when you are constantly traveling from one country to another.

It's very hard to find true friends when your life is a bumpy ride full of twists and turns. But, I'm glad that amidst all the ramblings in my life I have managed to win some great friends.

I am very emotional. It took me many years to recover from the death of my father. Even when I was playing cricket, I wasn't happy. I would just sit and cry. I was very young. He was too young; he shouldn't have gone. Cricket is all right. We all play sport. Good and bad days come.

Either you face the challenges in life head on or back out. And I am not someone to back out from challenges.

I think cricket is there in Usain Bolt's blood. Since I got to watch from close quarters, it was amazing to see him run up to bowl. The perfect delivery stride is understandable because he is a world champion athlete. But the manner - he loaded at the crease and then bowled the ball - left me zapped. He looked like a natural cricketer.

Not just cricket, we are doing clothing for football, hockey etc. It's basic stuff, but good designing is what I am looking to do.

I am honoured to be associated with a brand like Movado. It believes in the art of design and is known for its perfection worldwide. I have strong faith in the pursuit of perfection. I am looking forward to a long association.

I do not fear grassy tracks. Whether there is grass or not on the wicket, I am not worried.

Four hundred is a lot. When I was young, I remember Kapil Dev getting it, and it was quite a big thing. An Indian had taken it. I feel honoured and proud that God has given me a chance to reach 400 wickets. It's a big thing for me; I don't know about others.

I do not play golf regularly, but I feel that hitting the moving ball in cricket is tougher than hitting a stationary ball as in golf, which requires more concentration and steady hands.

If Indians were not largehearted, they wouldn't have made so much of progress and delivered growth.

I just don't know the art of making friends with girls. And that's the reason why I've never had a single girl as a friend. Also, I'm so engrossed in cricket that I've never found an opportunity to interact with girls very closely. In a way, it's better, as my mind doesn't get diverted!

You have to see if the batsman is coming out, if he is staying back, what his grip is like, to gauge his intentions. A common trend I have observed is, a lot of batsmen change their grips when they are looking to hit: normally they either go high or slide their hand to the bottom of the handle to get maximum power.

When you're young, you want to live fast, but you definitely don't want to die young. At the same time, you want to do things in slow, progressive manner that will benefit you in the future. Don't jump into things.

International sport is a lonely journey. You compete with one's self and try to grow as a cricketer.

A bowler is his own captain. I know what needs to be done, what the ball is doing. If you don't know where you are going to bowl and where you think the batsman will hit, then how can you tell the captain what you want? You are the judge.