Rajneesh Gupta picks more instances of sledging which backfired spectacularly.
- Part 1: When sledging backfired...
Yuvraj Singh vs Andrew Flintoff
During the 2007 ICC World T20 championship, Yuvraj Singh created history when he hit Stuart Broad for six sixes in one over.
There is an interesting story behind Yuvraj's onslaught.
Before the Broad over, Andrew Flintoff was hit for two boundaries off good deliveries by Yuvraj, which 'Freddy' didn't like at all.
After the over, 'Freddy' Flintoff and Yuvi exchanged some cuss words.
It could have turned ugly had the umpire not intervened. This infuriated Yuvi who just wanted to smash everything.
Poor Broad had to bear the brunt of his onslaught, as Yuvraj hit him for six sixes in the next over.
Yuvraj eventually ended up with 58* off 16 balls as India amassed 218 for four. England went on lose the match by 18 runs.
Perhaps Flintoff would have served England better had he kept his mouth shut!
Wahab Riaz vs Shane Watson
In the 2015 World Cup game against Australia, Pakistan fast bowler Wahab Riaz was taunted with some verbal volleys by the Australian players when he came out to bat.
Mitchell Starc, James Faulkner, Brad Haddin made sure Wahab knew what they thought about his batting as Wahab played and missed.
But it was Shane Watson's jibe from slip -- 'Are you holding a bat?' -- that made Wahab's blood boil.
And soon Watson was made to rue his comment. Pakistan Captain Misbah-ul Haq did not give Wahab the new ball when Australia started their innings -- a tactical error.
Wahab was finally introduced in the ninth over and he dismissed David Warner with a ball that climbed up at him.
In his next over, Wahab got rid of Michael Clarke and wide opened the match.
This brought Shane Watson to the crease. A charged-up Wahab bowled a bouncer first up, forcing Watson to take evasive action.
The next ball was much faster and Watson was happy to let it go to the 'keeper.
In the next over, Watson somehow managed to hang about against Wahab's rippers.
Similar fate in the next over and it was getting embarrassing for Watson now.
What added insult to injury was Wahab's sarcastic clapping after every ball.
It was without doubt one of the most intimidating bowling spells in the game's history. The very first ball of Wahab's fifth over was again a bouncer and Watson couldn't take it anymore.
He went for a wild hook without being in control. Wahab had planned it meticulously and executed it precisely, but Rahat Ali -- at fine-leg -- spilled a regulation catch.
Both Watson and Wahab could not believe their luck! That was the defining moment of the match and Australia went on to win the game without much fuss after that reprieve.
Everyone among those 35,000 people present in the stadium and millions glued to their television screens knew who was the winner that night.
Chadwick Walton vs Kesrick Williams
This would rank among the best examples of revenge on the cricket field.
The Caribbean players have their own ways of celebrating and some do it in a very unique manner.
Kesrick Williams has a peculiar way of having fun when he picks up a wicket. He pulls out an imaginary notebook from his pocket and makes note of that wicket and keeps it back.
On one occasion Williams was made to pay for his antics and he paid it dearly.
It happened during the 2017 CPL between the Amazon Guyana Warriors and the Jamaica Tallawahs.
It was started by Williams afer he dismissed Chadwick Walton and broke an important opening stand defending 128 for the Tallawahs.
Walton failed to read a slower ball from Williams and hit it straight to the point fielder.
Williams at first celebrated the wicket in a normal way but soon went to the departing batsman, took the imaginary notebook out of his pocket and made a note in it much to Walton's annoyance. The Tallawahs won this close game by 2 runs.
Both teams met in the return game and Walton faced Williams once again.
This time, the Warriors were chasing 150. Williams was brought into attack in the third over with Walton on the strike.
The first ball of the over was dispatched to the mid-wicket boundary. Straightaway, Walton started his celebrations by noting it down in an imaginary book on his bat's face. He made a check mark on his bat.
The second ball of the over was a no-ball. Walton smashed it through point for four, turned a page on his bat and made a big tick in his notebook.
The free-hit was hit for six over third man and again Walton started writing in his notebook.
The next ball was dispatched over mid-off for a four and the notebook was out again, another check mark.
Williams was so distraught that he was not even looking at Walton.
This was followed by a single and a dot ball by Luke Ronchi. The final ball of the over was smashed by Ronchi over th bowler's head for a six and Walton taught Ronchi how to make notes!
26 runs came from Williams's over and he was removed from the attack.
It seemed Walton's notebook was completely filled and no page was left. But they were wrong.
With Walton and Ronchi hitting the Tallawahs bowlers mercilessly, Williams was recalled in the tenth over.
Ronchi took a leg-bye off the first ball of the over to give Walton the strike.
The second ball was whipped past the deep backward square-leg boundary. Again, the notebook was out. He made a note of it. It was also a no-ball.
Williams then bowled two more no-balls and the free-hit stayed. Fortunately for him, these no-balls were not put away.
But Williams's joy was short-lived as his second legitimate ball was deposited by Walton for six over long-on.
By now Walton had consumed all the pages of the notebook and had to turn the notebook -- that, is he flipped his bat.
'He's a true academic,' one commentator noted.
The match was over in 10.3 overs as the Warriors won by nine wickers.
Kesrick Williams learnt perhaps the biggest lesson of his cricket career that day.
