An attempt to unsettle the opposition batter or bowler with some verbal or by actions is known as sledging in cricket. Several times this has happened with things going over the line as well. The players have at times lost their cool too with the umpire needing to separate the two cricketers. However, there have also been occasions when players have responded aptly to all the sledging in the middle. Here are some of the greatest cricket sledges of all-time in cricket.
Vivian Richards vs Greg Thomas
Sir Viv Richads and Greg Thomas came face to face against each other during the County Championship match between Glamorgan and Somerset. Richard was batting for Somerset and Thomas managed to unsettle the batter off successive deliveries. Excited by the same, Thomas threw some verbal volleys at Richards saying, “It’s red, round and weighs about five ounces, in case you were wondering.” Viv Richards wasn’t going to go down wondering and he launched the next ball for a massive six. Of course, the man had a response to the bowler as he said, “Greg, you know what it looks like. Now go and find it.”
Andrew Flintoff vs Tino Best
England all-rounder Andrew Flintoff was involved in multiple sledging incidents during his illustrious career. His sledging going wrong against India in T20 WC 2007 is widely famous but for once, the move worked for him and it was against West Indies’ Tino Best.
Best was batting during the Lord’s Test match in 2004 and the bowler Flintoff just had a hilarious warning for the former saying, Mind those windows, Tino.” In response, Tino Best went for a wild heave only to get comprehensively stumped off the very next ball.
Adam Gilchrist vs Mohammad Kaif
Adam Gilchrist was a part of the dominating Australian team in the early 2000s. The same team toured India back in 2004 and the wicketkeeper-batter from down under made sure he was in the ears of India batter Mohammad Kaif for a specific reason.
During the fourth Test of the series, Australian players were convinced that Kaif had gloved one behind the stumps with Gilchrist taking a catch. However, the umpire wasn’t convinced and didn’t pay heed to the vociferous appeal only for Gilchrist to not like Kaif not walking. After the next ball, Gilchrist walked up to the batter Kaif and let him know about his disappointment saying, “The whole world is watching champ.”
Dennis Lillee vs all batsmen
Aggression and Australian players used to go hand in hand even in the 20th century and Dennis Lillee was no different. Perhaps, he used to get into the ears of most batters while he used to bowl and a particular sledge worked almost every time according to talksport.com.
The cricketer from Western Australia had a stock line that he worked almost all the batters he bowled against. Dennis Lillee used to walk up to a batter and say, “I can see why you are batting so badly, you’ve got some s**t on the end of your bat.”
The batter used to naturally check the end of his bat and in response, Lillee used to say, “Wrong end mate.”
Robin Smith vs Merv Hughes
Robin Smith and Merv Hughes – This duel was one of the best to watch out for during their respective playing careers. The duo used to give it back to each other and one such incident during one of the matches between their teams.
According to the Independent, Merv Hughes tried to get into the head of the England batter who played and missed one of his deliveries. To this, Hughes said to Smith, “You can’t f***ing bat.
There was no retort from Smith initially but he smashed the very next ball to four and then came up with the response saying, “Hey Merv, we make a fine pair. I can’t f***ing bat and you can’t f***ing bowl.”
Fred Trueman vs the opponents
Fred Trueman was known for his couple of epic sledges in this aspect of the game apart from the fact that he accounted for a massive 2304 first-class wickets. As far as his sledges are concerned, he had hilariously sledged an Australian batter who was just walking in to bat. When the batter opened the gate to come into the middle and before he closed it, Trueman said, “Don’t bother shutting it, son, you won’t be there long enough.”
In another interesting incident, Trueman’s own teammate Raman Subba Row was at the receiving end. Raman let one through his legs while fielding at the slip and clarified it saying,” Sorry Fred, I should’ve kept my legs closed.” To this, Trueman came up with a reply saying,” So should your mother.”
Shane Warne to batters
Shane Warne was known as the magician with the ball and even though he let his ball do all the talking, the man hogged his limelight for a couple of sledging incidents. According to Daily Mail, in the first sledge, he took a go against Paul Collingwood who had received an MBE for his efforts in the 2005 Ashes series playing only one game.
This is when Warne reminded of the same when in the return Ashes when England lost pretty badly in Australia. “You got an MBE, right? For scoring seven at the Oval? That’s embarrassing,” Shane Warne said to him reminding Collingwood of his MBE.
Daryll Cullinan vs. Shane Warne
Another sledging incident in which Shane Warne was involved was against South Africa batter Daryl Cullinan. Cullinan was always Warne’s bunny dismissing him on four out of seven occasions. The batter this time around was returning after a long layoff due to injury and Warne did let him know after he came out to bat that he was waiting to dismiss him.
“I’ve been waiting two years for the opportunity to humiliate you in front of your own crowd.” To this, Cullinan also had a smart response as he said, “Looks like you spent it eating.”
Mark Waugh vs James Ormond
Mark Waugh had tried to take on a new player from England during an Ashes series in 2001. James Ormond was the England bowler who had finally got his chance in the final Test of the series. In his very first innings, Mark Waugh got into his ears saying, “Look who it is. Mate, what are you doing out here? There’s no way you’re good enough to play for England.”
However, Waugh got it back rather very badly as Ormond was quick to remind the former that he is not even the best player in his family. Steve Waugh, Mark’s brother, was always recognised as a better batter. “Maybe not, but at least I’m the best player in my family,” Ormond had responded.
Mark Boucher vs Tatenda Taibu
Zimbabwe’s Tatenda Taibu was unlucky as his best days with the bat came when the rest of the team was not good enough to even compete at the highest level. Taibu was left with the repair to do during one of the Test matches against South Africa.
However, not only Taibu had to worry about his team, but the then Zimbabwe keeper had to keep out some constant words from SA’s wicketkeeper Mark Boucher. Boucher had comically mocked Taibu’s offside push off one of the deliveries and had loudly asked everyone the batter’s average. And the sledge perfectly worked as Taibu was caught by Boucher for just 13 runs.
FAQs
Virat Kohli sledging example
Virat Kohli had once sledged Tabraiz Shamsi when the latter came out to bat with the chest pad during one of the ODIs. Kohli had mockingly said, “Chest pad Shammo (Shamsi), you have a chest pad on.”
Who is the sledging king in cricket?
Virat Kohli is the sledging king in cricket.
