Sledging wars, physical confrontations, and the fiercest rivalries on the pitch
68 incidents documented
IPL franchise match
8 April 2026
David Miller inexplicably refused an obvious single on the penultimate ball, then failed to score on the last ball, costing his team a match they lost by 1 run.
Australia vs Pakistan
11 June 2024
Mohammad Rizwan and Australian captain Mitchell Marsh exchanged heated words during the T20 World Cup 2024, adding spice to the Australia-Pakistan rivalry.
England vs Australia
31 July 2023
Stuart Broad, in his final Test, cheekily counted down to Steve Smith's supposedly final Test innings, winding up the Australian.
England vs Australia
2 July 2023
Alex Carey stumped Jonny Bairstow as he wandered out of his crease assuming the ball was dead, sparking a massive 'Spirit of Cricket' controversy.
Australia vs India
9 June 2023
Travis Head and Mohammed Siraj had a heated exchange during the WTC Final at The Oval, with aggressive celebrations and verbal jousting.
India Women vs Bangladesh Women
25 July 2023
India captain Harmanpreet Kaur kicked the stumps after being given out LBW, earning a match ban and widespread criticism for her on-field behaviour.
England U19
10 June 2022
Allegations of racism within the England youth cricket system emerged as part of the broader investigation into discrimination in English cricket triggered by Azeem Rafiq's testimony.
South Africa vs West Indies
28 October 2021
Quinton de Kock withdrew from South Africa's T20 World Cup match against the West Indies after Cricket South Africa mandated players take a knee before matches.
India vs Various
5 February 2021
Virat Kohli was regularly caught on stump microphones delivering animated verbal volleys to opponents, becoming both celebrated and criticised for his intensity.
India U19 vs Bangladesh U19
9 February 2020
The 2020 U19 World Cup Final between India and Bangladesh descended into ugly scenes after the match, with players from both sides involved in a physical altercation on the field.
South Africa vs Pakistan
22 January 2019
Pakistan captain Sarfraz Ahmed was caught on stump mic making a racist comment about South Africa's Andile Phehlukwayo, leading to a four-match ban.
Chennai Super Kings vs Rajasthan Royals
11 April 2019
MS Dhoni walked onto the field from the dugout to argue with umpires over a no-ball call that was reversed, in an unprecedented act for the usually calm captain.
England vs Australia
4 August 2019
Nathan Lyon dropped the ball next to the stumps near a grounded Jonny Bairstow, widely seen as an attempt to goad the batsman into a stumping dismissal.
England vs Australia
17 August 2019
Jofra Archer's fierce bouncer struck Steve Smith on the neck, felling him and forcing him out of the next Test with delayed concussion symptoms.
Australia vs South Africa
24 March 2018
David Warner had to be physically restrained after charging at Quinton de Kock in a staircase at Kingsmead, reportedly after de Kock made comments about Warner's wife Candice.
Australia vs India
14 December 2018
Kohli and Paine had a running battle throughout the 2018-19 series, including a shoulder bump at Perth and Paine calling Kohli the most immature captain.
Australia vs India
29 December 2018
Tim Paine sledged Rishabh Pant behind the stumps by offering to babysit Pant's kids so he could come play for the Hobart Hurricanes in the Big Bash.
South Africa vs Various
24 March 2018
Kagiso Rabada accumulated demerit points for aggressive celebrations and physical contact with batsmen after dismissals, nearly missing key matches.
Australia vs South Africa
3 March 2018
The Warner-de Kock feud set the toxic tone for the entire 2018 Australia-South Africa series that culminated in the Sandpapergate scandal.
India Women
24 November 2018
India's greatest women's cricketer Mithali Raj was sensationally dropped from the T20 World Cup semi-final, leading to a bitter public war of words with coach Ramesh Powar.
England (off-field)
25 September 2017
Ben Stokes was arrested after a violent incident outside a Bristol nightclub, leading to criminal charges, a trial, and his exclusion from the Ashes tour.
Australia vs Pakistan
25 March 2016
Mitchell Starc engaged in an intense staring contest with Mohammad Amir during the World T20 match, creating one of the tournament's most dramatic moments.
Bangladesh U19
28 December 2016
The Bangladesh U19 team bus was reportedly attacked by locals in Sri Lanka during a youth tour, injuring several young players and raising serious security concerns for touring youth teams.
Pakistan vs Australia
20 March 2015
Wahab Riaz bowled a fearsome spell of fast bowling to Shane Watson in the World Cup quarter-final, hitting him multiple times and sledging aggressively.
England vs India
17 July 2014
Virat Kohli and James Anderson had intense verbal exchanges throughout the 2014 series in England, with Kohli accusing Anderson of being abusive and disrespectful.
Bangladesh / Various domestic teams
5 November 2014
Shakib Al Hasan has been involved in multiple incidents of kicking or uprooting stumps in anger, earning bans and fines.
Australia vs West Indies
1 February 2014
Mitchell Starc threw the ball at Kieron Pollard in frustration after Pollard obstructed him during a run, leading to an ugly exchange.
England vs India
13 July 2014
James Anderson allegedly pushed Ravindra Jadeja in the players' corridor at Trent Bridge during the 2014 Test series, leading to ICC charges and hearings.
West Indies U19
15 February 2014
A group of West Indies U19 players staged a walkout during a regional youth tournament, protesting poor accommodation, inadequate food, and substandard playing facilities.
Australia vs England (off-field)
13 June 2013
David Warner punched Joe Root in the face at a bar in Birmingham during the ICC Champions Trophy, leading to Warner's suspension.
Australia vs England
24 November 2013
Mitchell Johnson bowled one of the most intimidating spells in Ashes history, terrifying England's batsmen with extreme pace and aggression across the entire 5-0 whitewash.
South Africa vs Various
3 January 2013
Dale Steyn was known for his aggressive celebrations and confrontational send-offs, frequently getting in batsmen's faces after dismissing them.
Australia vs England
6 December 2013
Brad Haddin engaged in sustained verbal abuse of James Anderson throughout the 2013-14 Ashes, reducing Anderson to tears according to some reports.
Australia vs England
12 August 2013
Australian coach Darren Lehmann urged Australian fans to give Stuart Broad such a hard time during the return Ashes that he'd 'want to go home and cry.'
England vs Australia
12 July 2013
Stuart Broad stood his ground after a massive edge was caught at slip, refusing to walk. The umpire gave him not out, infuriating Australia.
England (internal conflict)
12 August 2012
Kevin Pietersen sent derogatory text messages about England captain Andrew Strauss to members of the opposing South African team during a Test match.
Australia U19
20 August 2012
Australia's U19 team was criticised for excessive sledging and aggressive behaviour during the 2012 U19 World Cup, raising concerns about the culture being instilled in youth cricket.
India vs Various
26 March 2011
Virender Sehwag was famous for his devastating counter-sledging, often delivered with deadpan humor that left opponents speechless.
India vs Various
6 April 2011
Sachin Tendulkar showed visible frustration with umpiring decisions on multiple occasions, particularly with Billy Bowden, despite his generally calm demeanour.
India vs Pakistan
2 March 2010
Gambhir and Afridi had multiple heated confrontations across several matches, including a famous shoulder bump during the Asia Cup 2010.
Australia vs Pakistan
1 February 2010
Shahid Afridi was caught on camera biting the cricket ball in an apparent attempt at ball tampering during an ODI against Australia.
Australia (internal incident)
7 January 2009
Simon Katich grabbed Michael Clarke by the throat in the Australian dressing room after Clarke wanted to leave before the team victory song.
Mumbai Indians vs Kings XI Punjab
25 April 2008
Harbhajan Singh slapped Sreesanth after an IPL match, leaving Sreesanth in tears on the field. Harbhajan was banned for the remainder of the IPL season.
Australia vs India
17 January 2008
A young Ishant Sharma bowled a magical spell to Ricky Ponting at Perth, laughing at the Australian captain after beating him repeatedly.
Australia vs India
6 January 2008
Andrew Symonds accused Harbhajan Singh of calling him a 'monkey' during the infamous Sydney Test, triggering one of cricket's biggest racial controversies.
Pakistan (internal incident)
15 June 2007
Shoaib Akhtar allegedly struck teammate Mohammad Asif with a bat in the dressing room during the 2007 World T20, leading to his expulsion from the squad.
South Africa vs Pakistan
11 January 2007
Andre Nel sledged Shoaib Akhtar aggressively, only for Shoaib to smash him for a massive six off the next ball, then mimic Nel's aggressive celebrations.
England vs Australia
4 August 2005
Andrew Flintoff engaged in relentless verbal and physical intimidation of Ricky Ponting throughout the iconic 2005 Ashes series.
England vs Australia
25 August 2005
Brett Lee and Andrew Flintoff engaged in an intense physical battle throughout the 2005 Ashes, with both players targeting each other with short-pitched bowling.
India vs Pakistan
16 March 2004
Shoaib Akhtar and Virender Sehwag had epic confrontations across multiple India-Pakistan matches, with Shoaib's raw pace against Sehwag's fearless counter-attack.
West Indies vs Australia
25 April 2003
McGrath sledged Sarwan about his personal life. Sarwan reportedly responded with a comment about McGrath's wife Jane, who was battling cancer at the time.
Australia vs Various
2 January 2003
Ricky Ponting was frequently involved in heated arguments with umpires throughout his career, often pointing his finger and showing visible dissent.
India vs England
13 July 2002
Sourav Ganguly removed his shirt and waved it from the Lord's balcony after India's dramatic NatWest Trophy victory, in response to Andrew Flintoff's similar act in Mumbai.
Zimbabwe vs Australia
5 June 2001
Shane Warne was left seething after Zimbabwe's Dougie Marillier repeatedly scooped him over the keeper's head for boundaries, winning the match for Zimbabwe.
Pakistan vs Sri Lanka
15 June 2000
Waqar Younis was found guilty of ball tampering during an ODI against Sri Lanka after he was caught scratching the ball to generate reverse swing.
Sri Lanka vs England
23 January 1999
Umpire Ross Emerson called Muttiah Muralitharan for throwing. Captain Arjuna Ranatunga nearly led his team off the field in protest.
India vs Pakistan
15 September 1997
Inzamam-ul-Haq climbed into the crowd with a bat to confront a spectator who had been abusing him during the Sahara Cup match in Toronto.
West Indies vs Australia
28 April 1995
Curtly Ambrose got in Steve Waugh's face after being told to go back to his mark. Richie Richardson had to pull Ambrose away. Ambrose then bowled a devastating spell.
Australia vs Sri Lanka
26 December 1995
Umpire Darrell Hair called Muttiah Muralitharan for throwing seven times during the Boxing Day Test, igniting one of cricket's longest-running controversies.
West Indies vs England
18 November 1993
Curtly Ambrose refused to remove his white wristbands when asked by the umpire, leading to a standoff that required captain Richie Richardson's intervention.
Australia vs Various
28 December 1991
Merv Hughes was legendary for his creative and often hilarious sledging, engaging in memorable verbal battles with Javed Miandad, Viv Richards, and many others.
Pakistan vs England
8 December 1987
England captain Mike Gatting and umpire Shakoor Rana had a furious finger-pointing row that caused an entire day's play to be lost.
Australia vs Pakistan
27 March 1982
Beyond the famous kicking incident, Miandad and Lillee had a vicious running feud spanning years, filled with verbal abuse and mutual loathing.
Australia vs Pakistan
22 November 1981
Dennis Lillee kicked Javed Miandad on the field, prompting Miandad to raise his bat as if to strike Lillee. Umpire Tony Crafter intervened to separate them.
Australia vs India
7 February 1981
Sunil Gavaskar was so furious with an LBW decision that he tried to take his batting partner Chetan Chauhan off the field with him in protest.
New Zealand vs West Indies
12 February 1980
Michael Holding kicked the stumps out of the ground in frustration after an LBW appeal was turned down against John Parker.
Australia vs England
15 December 1979
Dennis Lillee used an aluminium bat that damaged the ball. England captain Mike Brearley complained, leading to a 10-minute standoff as Lillee refused to change bats.
England vs West Indies
3 June 1976
Tony Greig infamously said he intended to make the West Indies 'grovel,' a comment with racial undertones that provoked an incredible West Indian response.