CLASHES THAT ROCKED CRICKET WORLD
The ugly spat between Aussie Glenn McGrath and West Indian Ramnaresh Sarwan has moved even the International Cricket Council chief Malcolm Gray to publicly condemn the behaviour of his countrymen on the cricket field.
This is nothing new to the game. In fact, far greater incidents have taken place, ugly rows in full public view that have soured the relationship between the nations.
CricketNext.com brings to you four ugliest of clashes on the cricket field, which has the cricket community shaking even now while resurrecting the incidents.
Sunil Gavaskar and Dennis Lillee, Melbourne, 1980-81
A historic win for India in that Test would definitely not have taken place had Sunil Gavaskar not calmed down. He clashed with Australian fast bowler Dennis Lillee, who Gavaskar claims abused him after claiming his wicket and the Indian captain asked non-striker Chetan Chauhan to walk off the field, forfeiting the match.
Gavaskar was batting on 70 when Lillee appealed for a leg before decision. Gavaskar showed his bat to the umpire, indicating he had ‘nicked’ the ball before it hit his pads. Angry words were exchanged between the batsman and the bowler, and Lillee even went to the extent of pointing to the batsman the spot where the ball had his pads.
The decision went in favour of the bowler and as Gavaskar started his long, dejected walk back to the pavilion, Lillee turned around and abused him. That was it. Gavaskar snapped, and decided to forfeit the match.
Later, Gavaskar was to write in his book ‘Idols’: “That (the walkout) was the most regrettable incidents of my life. Whatever may be the provocation and whatever the reason, there was no justification for my action and I realize now that I did not behave the way a captain and sportsman should.”
Javed Miandad and Dennis Lillee, Perth, 1981-82
Once again, Dennis Lillee was the cause. This time, he met his match in the volatile Pakistan captain Javed Miandad, who tried to hit Lillee with his bat. The umpire, Tony Crafter, came in between the batsman and the bowler else Miandad, in a fit of rage, would have definitely struck Lillee.
Miandad was already boiling with rage as Lillee kept on abusing him, and it all spilled out when Lillee kicked Miandad’s pads as he brushed past the bowler for a single. Lillee claims Miandad tried to hit him with the handle of his bat and that’s why he kicked him.
Those who saw the incident swear that Lillee, who was nearing a world record for most number of Test wickets at that time, had gone too far. Wrote Henry Blofeld in ‘The Cricketer’: “I very much doubt if there has ever been a more unpleasant incident in a Test match than that at Perth when Lillee first deliberately blocked the Pakistan captain as he was completing a single and then launched a kick at him when he had made his crease. Over the years Lillee has been involved in probably more unpleasant incidents than any other Test cricketer. He has seemed almost to make a habit of trying to bait and upset his opponents in the most petulant manner.”
Mike Gatting and Shakoor Rana, Faisalabad, 1987
The finger-wagging at its very best, this incident provoked every newspaper worth its salt in England to devout editorials on it. England captain Mike Gatting in the middle of a Test match going ballistic at umpire Shakoor Rana, who refused to be browbeaten.
The incident led to such acrimony between the two nations that England didn’t tour Pakistan again for the next 13 years. It also led to the abandonment of the third day of that Test in Faisalabad.
It all started when Gatting said the umpire, Rana, accused him of cheating as the England captain had moved a fielder behind the batsman’s back while Eddie Hemmings was bowling. Angry words and abuses were exchanged, and Rana, now dead, refused to stand again in that Test until he received an unconditional apology from Gatting.
Gatting eventually apologised and the Test continued - minus a day. However, those who played in that Test claim Rana was instigated by Pakistan captain Javed Miandad.
Arjuna Ranatunga and Darrell Hair, Melbourne, 1995
A controversy that was created on a sunny day in Melbourne still refuses to die down. The Sri Lankans, led by proud Arjuna Ranatunga, were having the unhappiest tour of their lifetime when their star bowler, off-spinner Muthiah Muralitharan, was no-balled by umpire Darrell Hair for ‘throwing’.
Ranatunga walked up to Hair and what followed was mayhem. This controversy divided the cricket world like never before, and it still refuses to be wiped out, in spite of Muralitharan being cleared by the ICC as he has a defective hand.
Murali was three years later again called for throwing by Ross Emerson in Australia, and once again Ranatunga clashed with the umpire. Hair was later not included in the ICC’s elite panel of umpires and his career and an international umpire is over, and so is Emerson’s. Murali soldiered on to grab wickets by dozens but the taint refuses to go away.
Personally I don’t remember Miandad vs Lillee event but I do remember Rana vs Gatting showdown, it was pretty memorable.
)
after giving back sweater to Aaqib Javed with no respect. Pakistani players were around the pitch, standing behind Miandad; and Javed Bhai had few tasty words for the Umpire. Patahka moment tha woh, yeh! THUMBS UP
(something close to it)