Top 10 Confrontations Between Cricketers From The Same Country

Jul 29, 2020 at 2:19 PM

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Top 10 Confrontations Between Cricketers From The Same Country

Just as it had to change in other aspects, the game of cricket has interestingly evolved from a slow, good-spirited game to a fierce, fast and ever-changing sport. With passion often entangled with aggression, sparks start to fly and temper reaches the flashpoint. This once called Gentleman’s Game has witnessed quite a few confrontations amongst opponents, but you can also find a few occasions when teammates got into disagreements and spats.

Here is a list of ten instances when players from the same country were involved in an altercation.

Top 10 Confrontations Between Cricketers From The Same Country

Virat Kohli and Gautam Gambhir

Top 10 Confrontations Between Cricketers From The Same Country
Virat Kohli and Gautam Gambhir. Image Credits: IPL

Things got really ugly in an IPL 2013 match between KKR and RCB when a verbal confrontation between Gautam Gambhir and Virat Kohli occurred right in the middle of the match. Virat Kohli was caught out in the sweeper cover in the tenth over and KKR captain Gambhir, along with other players converged in the middle to celebrate.

Following an apparent exchange of words between the two, Gambhir suddenly approached angrily towards Kohli, who was still standing at short cover instead of walking back. However, Rajat Bhatia intervened and pushed the two just in time before they could get into a spat, even as the fielders and umpires came to cool the simmering tension. Both Kohli and Gambhir downplayed the event after the end of the match.

Ahmad Shahzad and Wahab Riaz

Wahab Riaz and Ahmad Shahzad open up about their on-field brawl. Image Credits: Twitter

On the occasion of Valentine’s Day 2016, there was no love lost between Ahmad Shahzad and Wahab Riaz, after Wahab dismissed Shahzad in a PSL match between Quetta Gladiators and Peshawar Zalmi.

After breaking his stumps with a slower one, Riaz approached Shahzad throwing a few words. Teammates and umpires came running when Riaz pushed Shahzad and kept exchanging words. This was in follow-up to Shahzad raising his bat at Riaz after hitting a six off the previous ball. Both of them were heavily fined by the Pakistan Cricket Board later.

Ravindra Jadeja and Suresh Raina

Suresh Raina, Ravindra Jadeja
Suresh Raina, Ravindra Jadeja. Image Credits: Twitter

Always lightning fast on the field, Suresh Raina had misjudged two catches against West Indies in a tri-series match in 2013-14. The verbal duel took place when a frustrated Jadeja, after dismissing Sunil Narine, walked towards Raina and apparently had a cold exchange of words.

Some Reports claimed that Jadeja took a jibe at Raina losing the captaincy to Virat Kohli and even made comments at his failed fielding attempts. However, the tension died down at the end of the match got over, and the two walked off the field together.

Matthew Hayden and Glenn McGrath

Glenn McGrath, Matthew Hayden
Glenn McGrath, Matthew Hayden. Image Credits: Twitter

It was 1994, and both the Australians were still finding their feet in international cricket. A strong Australia-A team was playing a match with the Australian first XI in the Benson and Hedges World Series, and two of the country’s future stars got into a fight in the middle of the match.

Hayden smashed a ball to the cover fence, and while crossing over for a run, exchanged words with Glenn McGrath. The bowler, not impressed by what he heard, gave Hayden an earful and shoved him aside. Hayden later admitted, he had thought that McGrath intentionally stuck his arm out when Hayden was trying to cross, and that started the verbal spat. The ICC Match Referee, John Reid, met Hayden later, but since Reid wasn’t sanctioned for the match, there was no jurisdiction.

Michael Clarke and Simon Katich

michael-clarke-simon-katich

After triumphing over a strong South African outfit in 2009, Simon Katich decided to celebrate the moment with his teammates by singing the Australian victory song, ‘Under the Southern Cross I Stand’. Michael Clarke, however, was keen on catching up with his model-fiancée and was in disagreement with the timing of the song. Even as stunned teammates watched, Katich allegedly caught Michael Clarke by the throat.

The incident had some serious implications on Katich’s career and even led to his early exit after Clarke was made captain in late 2009. Katich later admitted that the incident was a moment of ‘passion’ and can be related to his ‘bubbling Croatian bloodline’.

Mohammad Asif and Shoaib Akhtar

Shoaib Akhtar, Mohammad Asif
Shoaib Akhtar, Mohammad Asif. Image Credits: India Today

Shoaib Akhtar, in a colourful career for Pakistan, had a beautiful affair with controversy. One such incident, which threatened to end his career prematurely, happened ahead of the 2007 World T20. Akhtar got into a disagreement with fellow pacer Mohammad Asif and struck him with a bat on his left thigh which left the latter bruised.

This dressing room incident led to Akhtar’s withdrawal from the tournament’s inaugural edition, and a fine along with a ban of three matches. Akhtar later apologized to Asif for the incident but reignited another controversy saying that it was Afridi who provoked him to take the extreme step.

Doug Bracewell and Jesse Ryder

Photo Credit: AFP.

This one took place outside the cricket field and turned into a proper physical altercation, post an India-New Zealand test in 2014. Jesse Ryder, known for his temperamental behaviour and alcohol-induced misdeeds, was involved in a brawl with teammate Doug Bracewell at a pub in Auckland.

The two got injured from the fight, with Bracewell suffering a broken foot and Ryder injuring his hand. They were suspended from the next match of the Test series.

Harbhajan Singh and Sreesanth

S Sreesanth
S Sreesanth (Image Credit: Twitter)

One of the most discussed of all the confrontations, Harbhajan and Sreesanth’s on-field altercation grabbed a lot of media limelight, even though the actual incident was never ever shown on the live telecast.

After his team’s victory against the Mumbai Indians, the cameras caught Sreesanth crying inconsolably, with teammates around trying their best to calm him. Reports then started coming out that Harbhajan had apparently slapped Sreesanth with the back of his hand, the reason for which is still to be cleared.

After a disciplinary hearing, Harbhajan was suspended for the rest of the tournament and was even handed a fine. Years later, Sreesanth came up with a new twist to the saga by claiming that the incident was actually a planned one and that Harbhajan had elbowed him, the truth of which, he further revealed, was not released by the IPL.

Harbhajan Singh and Ambati Rayudu

Harbhajan Singh and Ambati Rayudu

 

The latest incident took place during Mumbai Indians’ match against the Rising Pune Supergiants in IPL. Batting for Pune, Saurabh Tiwary pulled a delivery from Harbhajan Singh towards the midwicket fence. Rayudu, running in from deep midwicket, made a dive and tried to scoop the ball towards a running Tim Southee. The ball, however, made its way to the boundary.

Harbhajan was visibly angry with Rayudu for his effort. Rayudu, however, was in no mood to listen, and even yelled back at his senior teammate. Both of them started speed-walking at each other. Harbhajan then controlled himself and put his arms over Rayudu and tried to calm him. Rayudu didn’t acknowledge the gesture, and still seething from the anger, pulled away.

But both the players calmed down and made peace by the end of the innings.

Manoj Tiwary and Gautam Gambhir

Manoj Tiwary, Gautam Gambhir

 

Gautam Gambhir is known for losing his temper. But he seemed to have crossed the limit during a Ranji match against Bengal. Not only did the Delhi skipper engage in an ugly argument with rival Bengal captain Manoj Tiwary, but he also pushed on-fielder umpire Krishnaraj Srinath. The incident happened in the eighth over of Bengal’s second innings when Tiwary came in to bat at No. 4. Tiwary, who was wearing a cap, asked for his helmet as soon as he realised pacer Sumit Narwal will come on from the other end.

He stopped Manan Sharma while he was about to bowl, and signalled his Bengal teammate in the dressing room to get his helmet. Manan thought it was a tactic to delay play and the two players engaged in verbal volleys. Gambhir, who was standing at first slip, then lost his cool and approached Tiwary angrily, hurling abusive words.

The Bengal skipper also reacted angrily and even showed his bat to Gambhir. The two players nearly came to exchanging blows when on-field umpires Srinath and C Nandan intervened.

Srinath tried to cool Gambhir down, but Gambhir pushed the umpire while trying to move towards Tiwary.

Gambhir was heard telling Tiwary: “Tu baahar mil match ke baad, tujhe maaroonga (Meet me after the match, I’ll hit you) and aaj tu gaya (you are finished today).”

Tiwary also retaliated, saying: “Abhi baahar chal na (Let’s go out now) and aa maar na, (come, hit me).”

 

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