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PHOTOS: Top 10 infamous tiffs on the cricket field!
Cricket is termed ‘The Gentleman’s game’. Over the years, however, there have been times when cricketers has ceased to behave a gentlemanly.
One such instance was played out during the first Test between India and England at Trent Bridge.
- England pacer Anderson faces two-Test ban for 'abusing' Jadeja
- ECB hit back over Anderson misconduct allegation
England pacer James Anderson on Tuesday was charged under Level 3 of ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel by India team manager Sunil Dev for allegedly "abusing and pushing" Ravindra Jadeja on the second day of the match last Thursday.
If proved guilty, Anderson will face a ban of two to four Tests or four to eight One-Day Internationals.
Following this alleged altercation, Rediff.com presents other on-field scuffles from the past.
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PHOTOS: Top 10 infamous tiffs on the cricket field!
Harbhajan and Andrew Symonds (Sydney Test, 2007-08)
Everyone is well informed about the infamous ‘Monkeygate’ scandal.
In the 2nd Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy at Sydney in the 2007-08 season, Harbhajan was accused of calling Symonds a monkey and suspended for three matches.
India had threatened to call off the tour, with the incident escalating into the infamous 'monkeygate' scandal.
The ICC then convened a judicial commission.
But Harbhajan was cleared in an appeal hearing, conducted by Justice John Hansen from New Zealand, in which Sachin Tendulkar appeared as a witness and gave a statement in favour of the Indian bowler.
- Also read:
Monkeygate fallout: Ponting blames unsupportive CA for Symonds's career slide
Ponting rakes up 'Monkeygate' again, questions Tendulkar's role
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PHOTOS: Top 10 infamous tiffs on the cricket field!
Javed Miandad vs Dennis Lillee (Perth Test, 1981)
This was the closest a cricket match came to a boxing bout! It was the fourth day of the first Test between Pakistan and Australia when Javed Miandad and Australian fast bowler Dennis Lillee almost came to blows.
The latter lashed out and kicked Pakistani captain Miandad during the Perth Test match on 16 November, 1981.
Lillee had delivered the seventh ball of his ninth over, when Miandad turned the ball towards square leg and with Mansoor Akhtar set off for a comfortable single. Miandad, watching the ball, was merely walking through for a single when, two-thirds of the way down the pitch, Lillee, having completed his follow-through, took a step to his left and blocked the Pakistani captain.
When Miandad saw the ball being returned to the keeper, Rod Marsh, he pushed Lillee with his hands to be able to safely complete the single. But moments later, Lillee kicked Miandad and struck him at the back of the leg. Miandad retaliated by wielding his bat above his head in an apparent effort to strike Lillee.
Lillee then clinched his fists like a boxer, causing umpire Tony Crafter to restrain the infuriated Lillee from getting entangled with Miandad.
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PHOTOS: Top 10 infamous tiffs on the cricket field!
Michael Clarke vs James Anderson (1st Ashes Test, Brisbane)
Last year Australia captain Michael Clarke was caught on the stump microphone blatantly threatening to break James Anderson’s arm during the 1st Ashes Test in Brisbane.
Clarke made inappropriate gestures and directed an obscenity towards Anderson, which was picked up by the stump microphone.
Clarke was eventually charged only with a level-one offence, having been fined 20 per cent of his match fee for breaching the ICC code of Conduct.
The charge was brought by umpire Kumar Dharmasena and third umpire Marais Erasmus.
- Also read:
Aus captain Clarke fined for Anderson spat in first Ashes Test
PHOTOS: Top 10 infamous tiffs on the cricket field!
Steve Waugh vs Curtly Ambrose (3rd Test, Sabina Park, 1995)
One of Steve Waugh's career-defining moments was a double hundred in Jamaica, against West Indies.
West Indies fast bowler Curtly Ambrose was giving cold stares to Waugh, every time he beat the outside edge of the bat. Waugh finally lost his cool and told Ambrose, "what the f**k are you staring at?".
Ambrose lost his cool and charged towards Waugh before his captain Richie Richardson had to pull him away, before things turned ugly.
Waugh in his autobiography mentioned how Ambrose was ready to erupt. He wrote, "fortunately, Richardson moved in swiftly to avert what could have been my death by strangulation, and the game continued.
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PHOTOS: Top 10 infamous tiffs on the cricket field!
Ramnaresh Sarwan vs Glenn McGrath (4th Test, Antigua, 2003)
The most notorious incident had to be in 2003 when West Indies were playing Australia at Port of Spain. Ramnaresh Sarwan, the West Indian batsman, was giving the Aussies a tough time.
Glenn McGrath, Australia's best fast bowler and chief sledger, exchanged angry words with Sarwan. Players and umpires had to intervene before things took a nasty turn.
The conversation went like this:
McGrath: "So what does Brian Lara's d*ck taste like?" Sarwan: " I don't know. Ask your wife. " McGrath (losing it): "If you ever F**king mention my wife again, I'll F**king rip your F**fing throat out."
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PHOTOS: Top 10 infamous tiffs on the cricket field!
Gautam Gamhbir vs Shahid Afridi (3rd ODI, Kanpur, 2007)
No India-Pakistan clash can be played out without controversy and this 2007 Kanpur ODI was no different.
Pakistan’s Shahid Afridi and India’s Gautam Gambhir exchanged a volley of expletives after they collided while Gambhir was taking a run. Umpire Ian Gould was forced to intervene and separate the two.
Following the altercation, Afridi was fined 95 percent of his match fee and Gambhir 65 percent following a hearing by the International Cricket Council (ICC) match referee Roshan Mahanama.
- Also read: (From our archives)
Photos from that 3rd ODI in Kanpur
Afridi and Gambhir fined for on-pitch clash
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PHOTOS: Top 10 infamous tiffs on the cricket field!
Michael Slater vs Rahul Dravid (1st Test, Mumbai, 2001)
Australia opening batsman Michael was always known for being a hot head.
He proved his critics right during Australia’s first Test against India in Mumbai. Slater had claimed a catch he took diving forward at mid-wicket when Rahul Dravid pulled a ball from Damien Fleming while he was on 22.
Umpire S Venkatraghavan referred the decision to the third umpire, who ruled Dravid not out and Slater was seen arguing with the umpire and the batsman.
Television replays suggested the ball could have touched the ground before Slater completed the attempted catch.
Slater was suspended for the second Test against India, at the EdenGardens in 2001, and fined 50 per cent of his match fees for violating the players' Code of Conduct.
Match referee Cammie Smith had let the batsman off with a mild warning after the said row,
In addition to being barred from playing in the second Test Slater was also handed an extended suspended ban from March 9 to September 8.
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PHOTOS: Top 10 infamous tiffs on the cricket field!
Harbhajan Singh and S Sreesanth (Mumbai Indians vs Kings XI Punjab, IPL, 2008)
S Sreesanth, playing for Kings XI Punjab at that time, and Harbhajan Singh, competing for Mumbai Indians, faced off after the game, an incident that left the pacer in tears. Harbhajan was banned for the rest of the tournament, while Sreesanth was let off with a warning after disciplinary proceedings.
Five years after the infamous 'slapgate' and before being banned himself in the spot-fixing scandal, Sreesanth, had made an explosive claim, saying that the entire incident was planned and that his former India teammate Harbhajan was a 'backstabber'.
- Also read:
The 'slapgate' incident was planned: Sreesanth
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PHOTOS: Top 10 infamous tiffs on the cricket field!
Shane Warne vs Marlon Samuels, (Big Bash League, Melbourne stars vs Melbourne Renegades, 2013)
Shane Warne was fined A$4,500 (2,927 pounds) and banned for one game after a heated row with Marlon Samuels in a match in Australia's domestic Twenty20 competition in January 2013.
The West Indies all-rounder and former Australia Test spinner had a heated verbal altercation before Warne threw the ball and hit Samuels on the arm, accidentally he later claimed.
Samuels reacted by throwing his bat down the wicket in the general direction of Warne and the umpires were forced to step in to restore order.
Australia (CA) found Warne guilty of three offences but not guilty of a breach of the rule that forbids throwing "the ball at or near a player or official in an inappropriate and/or dangerous manner".
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PIX: Warne banned after bust-up with Samuels in Big Bash