Best Sledging Incidents

Sledging has become a part of world cricket and almost every team is doing that. Players resort to sledging in order to distract their opponents' focus on the game. Sometimes, sledging and banters sound funny and interesting. But at other times, they just turn ugly.





Haddin vs Umar Akmal, Younus Khan and Afridi

In the Group A match between Australia and Pakistan, Australian wicketkeeper/batsman Brad Haddin started the argument
when his captain Ricky Ponting was dismissed. Haddin exchanged a few harsh words with Umar Akmal and even with those (Afridi and Younis) who tried to end the argument.

Haddin ultimately paid the price for it as his loss of concentration end up with him losing his wicket.

Umar Gul vs Balaji Rao

Canadian tail-ender Balaji Rao also threw a few words at Umar Gul and Ahmad Shehzad which eventually finished his unimpressive innings in Pakistan’s Group A match against Canada.

Balaji’s body language was aggressive and he was provoking Umar Gul to unleash his full pace and attack. Cool and calm Gul hit Balaji Rao’s body once, smiled, came back to his bowling mark, ran towards the wicket and shook Balaji’s stumps. Again, sledging did not work for the batsman.

Tait vs Dilshan

As usual, Australian bowler Shaun Tait started the dialogue and successfully tried to distract Sri Lanka’s dangerous opener Tilkaratne Dilshan. The opener played the next ball in anger, nicked it and threw the ball to the wicket keeper.

Sangakkara vs Pollock

An unimpressive, South African side was playing against Sri Lanka at their home ground and their captain Shaun Pollock was a victim of sledging. This time, the sledger was none other than decent the (now) captain and wicketkeeper of the Sri Lankan team, Kumar Sangakkara.

As soon as Pollock arrived at the crease, the wicketkeeper welcomed him by saying, “How’s the pressure, skipper?” The stump microphones picked up his words.

“He’s going to let his whole country down, lads. Oh, the weight of expectations. 42 million people depending on Shaun.” Sangakkara said audibly Pollock

South Africa needed 120 runs in 125 balls with five wickets in hand when Sangakkara made these comments. The Proteas’ skipper could make 25 runs only and his side was eliminated from the tournament with their defeat in this match.

Shane Warne vs Cullinan

The way Shane Warne mentally dominated Daryll Cullinan is a popular story. It was the last match of the super sixes round when Cullinan was on his way to the wicket. Warne told him he’d been waiting two years for another chance to humiliate him.

Cullinan responded “Looks like you spent it eating”.

But Cullinan’s witty reply couldn’t help him. He made a handsome half-century but it could not save him from Warne. He bowled Cullinan out for 50 runs and Australia qualified for the semi-finals.

Shoaib Akhtar vs Steve Waugh

Fast bowlers have always been famous for being short-tempered and Shoaib Akhtar is no exception.

With his body language and words, he told the world’s coolest captain Steve Waugh that he would not let him score anymore runs and that Steve must think of saving his wickets.

But Steve could not; Shoaib Akhtar bowled him out at 49.

Pakistan won the match by 10 runs which was Australia’s last defeat till Saturday’s match.

 Venkatesh Prasad (India) v Aamir Sohail (Pakistan)

1996 World Cup, Bangalore

Chasing India's score of 287-8, pakistan got off to a flyer of a start, Amir Sohail and Saeed Anwar went about tearing the Indian bowling attack.

Amir Sohail was completely bent on demolishing the Indian bowling to pieces, charging down the track to the faster bowlers and in this particular case, he came down the ground and slashed the bowl over vacant extra cover area… the ball disappeared into the fence in a flash… what followed has been etched in the memories of every cricket fan in the subcontinent.

Sohail, after hitting the aforementioned shot, pointed his bat the area where the bowl had disappeared and then towards Prasad, apparently gesturing where he will send the next one.
Its not everyday that you see a batsman sledging the bowler, and Sohail was about to learn just why.

Aamir Sohail, attempting a repeat of the earlier shot (albeit with his feet stuck to the ground this time), made room and exposed his stumps, and his weakness, and in return lost his wicket… and face. As the wicket lay uprooted, Prasad returned the favour to Sohail, pointing to the pavilion this time.

The comeback was truly remarkable, almost a miracle… Prasad has bowled thousands of deliveries and taken hundereds of wickets in his career but, it was this one granted him a place in the History of Indian Cricket!

 Rodney Marsh (Australia) and Ian Botham (England)

Rodney Marsh to Ian Botham in an Ashes match: “So how’s your wife and my kids?” Ian Botham's reply - "The wife's fine. The kids are retarded !"

 Javed Miandad (Pakistan) and Merv Hughes (Australia)

Javed Miandad called Hughes a fat bus conductor during a match. A few balls later, Hughes dismissed Miandad. “Tickets please,” said Huges, as he ran past the departing batsman.

 Douglas Jardine (England) and Bill Woodfull (Australia)

England player Jardine complained that one of the Australian players called him a bastard. Australian captain Bill Woodfull turns to his team, points to Jardine and asked “Which one of you bastards called this bastard a bastard?”

 Steve Waugh (Australia) and Parthiv Patel (India)

When Steve came (Steve's last test match) to bat, Parthiv said, "Come on, just one more of the famous slog-sweeps before you finish" Steve-"Respect Me...for when i made my test debut You were still in your nappies".

 Glen McGrath (Australia) and Eddo Brandes (Zimbabwe)

Aussie paceman Glenn McGrath was bowling to Zimbabwe number 11 Eddo Brandes - who was just missing each ball. McGrath, frustrated, went to him and inquired: "Why are you so fat?"Quick as a flash, Brandes replied, "Because every time I make love to your wife, she gives me a biscuit."

 Ravi Shastri (India) and Mike Whitney (Australia)

Shastri hits the ball towards Mike Whitney (the 12th man in the game) and looked for a single. Whitney said, "If you leave the crease i’ll break your f***ing head". Without battling an eyelid, Shastri retorted, "If you could bat as well as you can talk you wouldn't be the f***ing 12th man".

 Sunil Gavaskar (India) and Viv Richards (West Indies)

To ease the pressure on himself, Sunil Gavaskar had decided to come lower down the order and bat at No 4 for that particular match. But, Malcolm Marshall fired out Anshuman Gaekwad and Dilip Vengsarkar for ducks, setting the stage for Gavaskar to walk in at 0/2. Viv Richards said "Man, it don't matter where you come in to bat, the score is still zero."