Most Controversial, Confrontational, and Cantankerous Statements by Cricketers in 2015

1. “Arrogant Dhoni would be penniless one day” – Yograj Singh

Yuvraj Singh has always expressed admiration for MS Dhoni’s captaincy but his father surely thinks otherwise. He launched a withering, and contemptuously crude, assault on Dhoni blaming the former Indian Test captain of being the force behind his son’s ouster from the Indian team. He said that Dhoni is extremely arrogant and would be rendered penniless one day by God for his nefarious acts. Yuvraj Singh distanced himself from his father’s putrid philippic.

2. “He’s still living off the fact that he coached a team that anyone, even my dog Jerry, could have coached to world domination” - Michael Clarke on former Australian coach John Buchanan

Michael Clarke isn’t amused that former Australian coach John Buchanan, who was at the helm during 1999-2007, claims too much credit for the success of Australian team. He made his thoughts known, backed by Ian Chappel and Shane Warne, what he thinks of Buchanan’s pedigree as a coach by likening him (Buchanan) to his ‘Pup’.

Earlier in the year, Buchanan had asserted that ‘Baggy green culture eroded under Clarke’.

3. “Steve Smith will live to regret Ben Stokes dismissal” – Brendon McCullum

New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum wrote in his ‘Daily Mail’ column that Australian skipper Steven Smith showed immaturity by not withdrawing his appeal against England batsman Ben Stokes in the ODI at Lord’s.

During the second ODI of the series, Stokes left his crease after driving a ball back to bowler Mitchell Starc, who collected it in his follow through and threw at the striker’s end and Stokes - as he turned to get back into his crease - deflected the ball away with his hand and was adjudged Obstructing the Field. Stoke is the sixth cricketer to be ruled out Obstructing the Field in the ODIs.

4. “Nice New Zealanders deserved sledging” – Brad Haddin

High on the booze and euphoria of World Cup victory, former Australian wicketkeeper Brad Haddin told the Sydney Radio station Triple M that pleasant demeanour of Black Caps during the group match in the World Cup made him feel uncomfortable and he was determined to give them mouthful in the World Cup final. “You know what? They deserved it. They were that nice to us in New Zealand (during their match in the pool stages) and we were that uncomfortable. I said in the team meeting: ‘I can’t stand for this anymore.’”

Haddin had let out a string of invectives during send-offs to Martin Guptill and Grant Elliott in the World Cup final 2015, and was soundly slayed by media.

5. “Mohammad Amir brought bad name to Pakistan. I won’t play alongside him” - Mohammad Hafeez

Former Pakistan cricketers like Wasim Akram and Shoaib Akhtar are in favour of Mohammad Amir’s return to international cricket after serving a ban of five years. But Mohammad Hafeez was incredibly categorical and candid in stating that he would not like to share dressing room with any cricketer who was involved in fixing.

Amir has done quite well in the domestic season and is performing creditably in the on-going Bangladesh Premier League (BPL). PCB has said in a statement that he would be in the reckoning for the New Zealand tour.

6. “Meet me outside ground. I shall bash you up” – Gautam Gambhir to Manoj Tiwary

Gautam Gambhir is no stranger to ugly on-field spats. He has been involved in a string of flaming affrays with cricketers like Shahid Afridi, Kamran Akmal, Shane Watson, Virat Kohli et al. This time Manoj Tiwary, once his team-mate at Team India and KKR, bore the brunt of Gambhir’s incendiary wrath.

During the Ranji Trophy match between Delhi and Bengal at Feroz Shah Kotla, Gambhir and Tiwary almost came to blows on day three of the match during Bengal’s 2nd innings. Gambhir, reportedly, told Tiwary to meet him outside ground after the day’s play and he would bash him up. Tiwary retaliated by saying that let matter be settled then and there.

Later, Tiwary told the press that Gambhir abused his parents and even dragged the name of former Indian skipper Sourav Ganguly who is presently the President of CAB. Gambhir denied Tiwar’s allegations and proclaimed that the latter was indulging in time-wasting tactics and when his (Gambhir’s) team-mates objected, Tiwary abused and pushed Delhi cricketer Pradeep Sangwan.

7. “Go away Thief” – Faisal Iqbal to Mohammad Amir

Faisal Iqbal, who has played 26 Tests and 18 ODIs for Pakistan, had a blazing altercation with disgraced fast bowler Mohammad Amir during the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy qualifier match between PIA and SSGC.

Amir was continuously sledging Iqbal during the match and after a while the latter lost his marbles and called him a Chor (Thief), a pejorative reference to Amir’s involvement in spot-fixing imbroglio, while smashing a boundary off his (Amir’s) bowling. Amir shot back calling Iqbal a Parchi who represented Pakistan only because of him (Iqbal) being the nephew of Javed Miandad, one of the greatest cricketers Pakistan has produced.

8. “It’s the sort of score you expect to see at the Under-9s on the village green” - Ian Botham on Australia’s abject capitulation on the opening day of Trent Bridge Test

Australia faced a barrage of barbs after they were unceremoniously shot out for 60 on opening day of the Trent Bridge of Ashes 2015. Their old nemesis Ian Botham, former England allrounder famous for his barnstorming exploits in Ashes 1981, rubbed salt into their wounds by equating them with Under 9s.

9. “Virat Kohli will have to answer history just like Douglas Jardine” – Bishan Singh Bedi

Bishan Singh pulls no punches while expressing his thoughts and has earned the reputation of being the ‘enfant terrible’ of Indian cricket. The pitch for the 3rd Test between India and South at Nagpur had him foaming at the mouth. He equated the Nagpur pitch with infamous Bodyline tactics which England deployed against Australia during the 1932-33 series.

“Indian captain Virat Kohli will have to answer history just like Douglas Jardine had to answer history for his Bodyline tactics in 1932-33,” he said. “Take off your whites and play with your suspenders on this wrestling pit,” he added.

Would it be erroneous to call him the ‘Harbinger of Hyperbole’ for his latest ‘harm ball’?

10. “I have never seen a more selfish and cowardly captain than Misbah” - Shoaib Akhtar

Shoaib Akhtar unleashes as much fire and brimstone as a cricket analyst on TV as he used to as a tearaway fast bowler. He tore into Misbah-ul-Haq, the Pakistan skipper during the World Cup 2015, after Pakistan lost to West Indies by 150 runs in the league match of the World Cup.

Sample his corybantic rant: “I have never seen a more cowardly and selfish captain than Misbah. When he knows the chips are down and the team needs an inspirational leader, why couldn’t he (Misbah) come up the order? Misbah has always been a selfish player and he is satisfied with his own runs. For him the team comes second.”