Cricket is known to be the gentleman's game, a noble game free of any obnoxious or violent incident and respects its rivals. But despite this guise a thin thread of gentlemanly behaviour, it has been periodically eroded by aggressive verbal battles and bitter enmities. Some of the most emerging events in cricket history have not only included great performances by players with the bat ball or field but also heated encounters between players. The aforementioned incidents have brought an element of danger to the sport which is what people love and stand as a testament to the boiling pot that is the fire in every tennis player. Due to this most fans are always keen on international cricket scores live and waiting for the next encounter to occur.
The Infamous "Bodyline" Series
Probably the most infamous and one of the first events in cricket history is the Bodyline series of 1932-1933 in Australia. England's approach to reducing of scoring by Australia's Don Bradman was the use of short-pitched fast deliveries at the body. This strategy planned and implemented by England's captain Douglas Jardine with the help of fast bowler Harold Larwood, resulted in many players getting hurt and relations between both the teams turned quite hostile. There is no friendly relationship between Australia and Indonesia. The Australian people as well as the media were very much angry with Indonesia and the tension in political relations between the two nations increased. It goes down in cricket history as the most disputed scandal and Bodyline questions and influences even the code to this day.
The "Monkeygate" Scandal
There is also an old altercation that happened in the 2008 Sydney Test between India and Australia. The saga popularly referred to as Monkeygate concerned Indian off-spinner, Harbhajan Singh and Australian all-rounder Andrew Symonds. An episode that triggered a major controversy, on and off the cricket field was the racism issue a Singh and Symonds where the latter accused the former of calling him ‘monkey'. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) almost boycotted the tour, and the match led to the launching of an elaborate probe by the International Cricket Council (ICC). Despite the subsequent reduction of the charges, one could see that the incident revealed the race-related issues that often lurk behind the international cricket match live score updates.
Javed Miandad vs. Dennis Lillee
The great Test series occurred in 1981 at Perth when Pakistani cricketer Javed Miandad and Australian cricketer Dennis Lillee clashed physically. While Lillee was bowling a ball to Miandad, the latter was in the process of playing it, but the former obstructed him in that, due to which the altercation occurred. Miandad made a gesture to Lillee as if to hit him with the handle of the bat. Lillee retaliated by booting Miandad in the stomach. The umpires stopped the game. Both the players were then scolded. This bout is widely considered one of the most spirited and unpleasant foul affairs in the history of cricket.
The War of Words: Glenn McGrath vs. Ramnaresh Sarwan
The Australian cricketer Mathew Hayden has been accused of sledging Lance Clarkson a New Zealand cricketer during one of their matches sledging has always been part of cricket but it is extreme sometimes. The incident that was probably the highlight of the Aussie bowler Glenn McGrath and the West Indies batsman Ramnaresh Sarwan took place in 2003 during a Test match on Australian soil. Teenager Sarwan overstepped the mark when he made a personal comment relating to McGrath's wife who is suffering from cancer; this led to McGrath descending into a protracted verbal tirade. The said exchange was vilified and much to McGrath's regret, he had to proffer an apology. This incident brought into light how much the contest can turn into rivalry and how much aggression is allowed on the field.
The Battle of the South Asian Giants
Cricket is a religion in the two nations and Pakistan-India clashes are always intense since two giants are fighting for their pride. Some of the noted battles were witnessed during the 1996 World Cup quarterfinal in Bangalore. Pre-match excitement made the atmosphere quite tense especially when Aamir Sohail a Pakistani opening batsman threatened to hit Indian bowler Venkatesh Prasad on his next delivery after having hit a boundary. To this, Sohail fell on the very next delivery trying to play a big shot and only managing to meet the raw pace of Prasad which prompted a wild Indian appeal, and celebration. This moment is considered to be a very pure example of poetic justice in cricket.
The "Underarm" Incident
It was certainly during a One Day International match of the Australian and New Zealand teams in the year 1981 that the spirit of cricket was challenged most unusually. To tie the match, New Zealand required six runs to be scored off the last ball, to which Greg Chappell being the captain made the bizarre decision of instructing his brother, Trevor Chappell to bowl an underarm delivery at the batsman so that the batsman could not hit the ball out of the park to win the match. Even though this tactic was legal at the time, it was considered by most as being rather unsporting. This ignited a rule that stated that no underarm bowling would be allowed in limited-overs cricket, and it goes down in the black history of cricket.
Kieron Pollard vs. Mitchell Starc
Now, in IPL 2014, there were a couple of incidents—one with West Indian big-hitter Kieron Pollard and another involving Australian fast bowler Mitchell Starc. After a couple of bouncers and some verbal exchanges, Starc bowled a delivery which was stinging on the thighs of Pollard; in reply, he took the bat and guided it towards Starc. It went on and both players were penalized. This episode was the perfect example of how pressure and emotions boil over in that one T20 game-deciding moment.
Shoaib Akhtar vs. Matthew Hayden
Aggressive attitude is characteristic of fast bowlers and undoubtedly Shoaib Akhtar from Pakistan realized it during the Test match in 2002 against Australians. Their encounters in this match involving Akhtar nasty bowling and sledging of Australian opener Matthew Hayden raised tension. Hayden known for his stamina however came back with boundaries and it was evident that there was hatred between the two players to a certain extent. This confrontation is recalled for the stark rudeness and the fervour of a competition between two fighters.
Conclusion
It is in these episodes of conflict that cricket's rich history has been punctuated, engaging fans and giving shape to the game's narrative. In most cases, similar incidents are controversial but demonstrate the passion and level of commitment players bring to the field. We, as fans, keep track of the live scores of international cricket to see such moments unfurl before our eyes. Much like any other sport, cricket is an amalgamation of skill and strategy and; at times, an intense rivalry. The live scores reflect on a classic game like cricket, where every match may be another electrifying face-off.
