Javed Miandad vs Dennis Lillee — A Rivalry of Venom

While the 1981 kicking incident is the most famous episode in the Lillee-Miandad rivalry, the animosity between the two lasted throughout their overlapping careers. Every time Australia played Pakistan, the battle between these two alpha competitors was the main event.

Lillee would bowl aggressively at Miandad, targeting him with bouncers and verbal abuse. Miandad gave as good as he got, frequently talking back and trying to get under Lillee's skin while batting. Their exchanges were famously profane and personal, going well beyond normal sledging.

Both players later admitted in their autobiographies that they genuinely disliked each other during their playing days. Miandad wrote that Lillee was "the most unpleasant cricketer" he had faced, while Lillee acknowledged the feud brought out the worst in both of them. The rivalry contributed to the intense atmosphere that characterised Australia-Pakistan cricket throughout the 1980s and set a template for future heated encounters between the two nations. In later years, both men have spoken more diplomatically about each other, but the animosity was very real during their playing days.