5 times when cricketers almost wrestled on the field

Cricket is also called the ‘gentlemen’s game’, a sport where elegance and poised behaviour of a player on the field is held in high regard by the watchers and the experts of the game. But it is not always that the players are able to hold themselves together and maintain that persona on the field that would be praised by all.

Over the years there have been several incidents on the field when the players have gone on to confront their counterparts, engaging in a verbal duel in the process during a high voltage game. But, seldom have we seen these duels being converted into full-blown fights.

5 such incidents where players almost wrestled on the field

1. Kieron Pollard and Mitchell Starc during the Indian Premier League

Tension does run high between the players when they play in one of the most difficult T20 competitions in the world, the Indian Premier League. And, there have been instances when the nerves are too high for the players to handle and things get out of hand. One such incident involving Mitchell Starc and Kieron Pollard took place during an IPL game in 2014.

It was during the 17^th over of the Mumbai Indians’ innings when it all happened. Starc bowled a bouncer to Pollard who failed to connect it and the ball was a dot. Starc went ahead and said something to Pollard. As Starc came in with the next delivery, Pollard backed out as Starc approached his jump. But Mitchell Starc went ahead with the delivery, hurling it towards the legs of the batsman.

Pollard too swung his bat, threatening to hit the bowler with it as the bat slipped and went out of his hand. The duo continued the exchange, and after the match, heavy fines were put on to these two for breaching the IPL’s code of conduct.

2. Gautam Gambhir and Shahid Afridi during India vs Pakistan in Kanpur, 2007

It is no hidden fact that when India and Pakistan play against each other, the emotions of the players on the field, trying to win the game for their country run high. The same happened in the Indian vs Pakistan One Day International match in 2007, when Gautam Gambhir and Shahid Afridi took on each other in the middle of the game. Verbal exchanges between the two players had been going on throughout the game before the incident happened and anyone with a bit of an idea about how India-Pakistan games have unfolded earlier must have gotten a sense that things were about to go out of hand soon. And things did go out of hand.

On the 3^rd delivery of the 19^th over of the Indian batting inning, Gautam edged a ball past the keeper and ran for a single. While it can be left for the people to decide who was at fault as the two ran into each other as Gautam was completing a single, one thing was sure that what happened after that shouldn’t have happed on the cricket field.

Especially when the two players who are highly popular among cricket fans are playing at the highest level. Both the players engaged in an all-out verbal duel and didn’t seem to stop unless the umpires came in.

3. Quinton de Kock and David Warner during a Test match in 2018

Wtf ! I’ll hurt you @davidwarner31 https://t.co/jdKx5QujFk

— Dalean De Kock (@DayDekock) March 5, 2018

The fierce altercation between the two stars of their countries, the footage of which can be seen all over the internet is another duel between the players which put the game of cricket in a bad light. Before the confrontation between David Warner and Quinton de Kock took place in the stairway leading to the dressing room, the two had been sledging each other and had been engaged in what has been called ‘an hour-long sledging battle’.

Things went really bad when the two came eye to eye with each other during the walk back to the dressing rooms at tea on day 4 of that fateful match. The players had to be held back by their teammates as they charged towards each other.

The footage of the incident that was released, showed how bad things got once the players were out of the field. Families of the two players also took to Twitter to vent out their frustrations as statements from both the teams were sent out to put forth their point of views on the incident.

4. Dennis Lillee and Javed Miandad during a Test match in 1981

Many might believe that on-field aggression between the players is a recent phenomenon in the world of cricket but, there have been incidents in the past too that brought tensions between the players to an extreme. This incident involving the Pakistan captain Javed Miandad and Dennis Lillee is an example of the same. In that game, Pakistan was in a tough spot when Miandad came in to bat. And, the cause of the troubles for the Pakistan team was Dennis Lillie, who was all charged up and the crowd at the stadium was ready to back him by being at the top of their voices.

During that inning, Miandad pushed Lillie’s ball for an easy single, but midway through completing that run collided with Lillie, who according to many had walked into the batsman’s path. While the versions of this story differ according to the side they are coming from, one thing stands as what happened after this should not have taken place.

The two during that run had allegedly engaged in a physical tussle during the collision, but when the run was completed, Lillie turned towards Miandad to confront him. And in response, a fired up Miandad lifted his bat over his head to hit Lillie as the umpire at the moment, Tony Crafter rushed in to separate the two as they parted ways.

5. Mushfiqur Rahim in Bangabandhu T20 Cup 2020

Calm down, Rahim. Literally. What a chotu 🐯🔥

(📹 @imrickyb) pic.twitter.com/657O5eHzqn

— Nikhil 🏏 (@CricCrazyNIKS) December 14, 2020

The year 2020 saw it all and as it closed in towards a much-needed end, it left us with a sight that no one would have wanted to see unfold on the cricket field, especially at a time when cricketing action has been sparse and every game was like a breath of fresh air for the fans, who had gone through so much throughout the year.

The incident as it took place during a match of the Bangabandhu T20 Cup 2020 saw and angry Mushfiqur Rahim threatening to throw the ball at his teammate, Nasum Ahmed as the two collided while attempting a catch during the game.

Rahim, in the end, did complete the catch safely but he could be seen visibly angry at the junior cricketer Nasum Ahmed, who was also coming in to take the catch. This move by Rahim was criticized by fans and experts across the globe as the footage of this started doing rounds on social media as the incident took place.