They say cricket is a gentlemen’s game but Sledging has been part and parcel of cricket since a very long time, exchange of words between players have often determined the result of the match. at times the altercations have been in good faith whereas some have taken an ugly turn.
We’ve seen that over the years sledging has made cricket more interesting for the fans. moreover, it brings out the witty sense of humour of the players. Also in modern times, countries like Australia and England have successfully used sledging as a tactic to distract the focus of the opponent.
Former Australian player Merv Hughes was regarded as the ‘Master Sledger’. Sometimes the sledges work in favour of the team but they also backfire at times.
Let’s take a look at some of the memorable sledging moments in the history of cricket:
1) Tim Paine and Rishabh Pant
During 2018 India’s tour of Australia, a banter was started by Aussie captain Tim Paine when Pant came out to bat
“Tell you what big MS is back in the one-day squad. Should get this bloke down to Hurricanes, They need a batter”
“Do you babysit? I can take my wife to the movies while you watch the kids” said Paine.
Later, Pant welcomed Paine to the crease with some banter of his own calling him a ‘temporary captain’. The Indian wicket-keeper batsman began the banter by saying,
“We have got a special guest here. Have you heard the word temporary captain ever? You [Jadeja] don’t need anything to get him out. Come on lads”
“He loves to talk, that’s the only thing he can do. Only talking talking”.
