Top five awkward moments in cricket

Once upon a time, cricket was known as the gentleman’s game. However, with the rising number of petty squabbles, jealousy and revenge moments spilling out on the field, the game has taken a dicey turn. You need to have the skill to dodge slurs coming at a faster pace than balls.

The reason for such a steep decline in the tolerance level of players can be attributed to the turbulent nature of the game. Cricket is a sport that can make you reach the zenith and nadir of popularity in the time span of a few minutes, as it is the most revered game in India. It’s the perfect illustration of five minutes of fame.

Such a fleeting nature of the game can make any sane person mercurial. Some repercussions of the volatility of cricketers are presented in this countdown.

Criteria of the countdown:

1. This countdown deals with those incidents that made people shift uncomfortably in their seats or sent the paparazzi on a clicking spree.

2. The list includes only those events that were triggered by players themselves although other awkward moments related to cricket are mentioned in the ‘could not make it to the list’ category.

3.The awkwardness can be credited to any clash, remark, spat or display of emotions during or after the game.

The incidents that could not make the cut-

8. The guard-who-got-famous-overnight and SRK’s war of words, 2012

The inebriated superstar Shahrukh Khan was denied access to the Wankhede Stadium after his IPL team Kolkata Knight Riders won the tournament. The result was a long shouting match peppered with lots of ‘do-you-know-who-I-am’ and ‘I-will-see-you-outside’ threats. Since this was not initiated by a player, it failed to grab a spot in the list. Now, had it been a blood bath or at least one or two sucker-punches coming from either side, it would have been awarded a place in the countdown. This incident merely turned out to be an over-hyped starry tantrum.

7. Preity and Yuvraj’s public display of affection, 2009

Although this episode couldn’t make a place for itself in the countdown, it deserves a special mention because of all the love and warmth it spread in the game amidst slapping and jeering. Every time the Kings XI Punjab managed to catch some luck or even performed decently, Priety Zinta sprinted across the field in all her glamour to land a peck or two on Yuvi’s blushing cheeks.

It was viewed as the only incentive to make the team work at all. Nonetheless, it happened to be a definite awkward moment for Yuvraj’s mother dearest.

6. Gambhir and Andre Nel’s comical clash, 2011

This event was left out as it was more amusing than awkward. South African bowler Andre Nel had some epic expressions in store for Gambhir’s innings.

A Tom and Jerry sort of match ensued where Gambhir smirked at Nel everytime he hit a boundary and Nel leered in return whenever Gambhir missed the ball. The rib-tickling riot came to an end when finally Nel took Gambhir’s wicket.

The countdown comprises of:

5. Monkey on Bhajii’s back, Sydney Test, 2007

Harbhajan Singh was accused of racially abusing Andrew Symonds by calling him a ‘monkey’. Match referee Mike Proctor however was far from amused by the incident, and slapped a three-match ban on him.

Later, Singh was only fined for abusive language (come on, this is just how he shows love for his Australian brethren!). This awkward altercation is at number five for its sheer ability to ‘ape’ the hype of Hollywood scandals.

4. Gambhir grapple, Kanpur ODI, 2007

India’s arch nemesis Pakistan could not stomach Indian opener Gautam Gambhir’s sixers and came down to its age old tried and tested strategy – instigation.

Shahid Afridi threw slurs, and Gambhir drove them right out of eyesight in sweet retribution. That was the first time the world saw a fiery version of poker-faced Gambhir matching Afridi’s taunts with equal vigour. This spat grabs fourth spot for hooking cricket lovers on tenterhooks.

3. Sreesanth Slapgate, IPL Punjab Kings XI- Mumbai Indians match, 2008

Harbhajan Singh makes a comeback in this countdown, that too, with a bang! Being on the winner’s team, Punjab Kings XI player Sreesanth became just a ‘little bit’ condescending towards the losing captain Bhajji and uttered ‘hard luck’ to him.

Those words resulted in a resounding hard slap across Sree’s face as of course, he had dared to confront his ‘senior’.

Following that, Sree took a whole round of the grounds half-heartedly, trying to hide his snivelling from the media.

Bhajji was made to pay for this ‘domestic violence’, as he was handed a 11-match ban. This incident takes the number three slot for its dramatic effect, and the awkwardness of having to bear a fully grown cry-baby.

2. Yuvraj-Flintoff rough-housing, T20 Durban match, 2007

Yuvraj Singh turned the dream of every batsman into reality when he fired six sixes off six consecutive balls in this match. Later, he attributed his success to his hot Punjabi blood that rose to boil every time he glanced at England’s Andrew Flintoff.

The reason – Flintoff had threatened to hit him with a bat (even gully cricketers have better aspersions to cast!). This episode deserves number two because of serving revenge in its coldest form.

1. Ganguly’s gutsy gear-removal, Natwest Final, 2002

The mother of all tit-for-tat moments, this act of Dada’s definitely deserves to be at the top of the countdown.

Saurav Ganguly took his Indian jersey off after winning the match as an act of vengeance against Freddie Flintoff, who had pranced around the Wankhede Stadium earlier in a similar condition.

All the ladies went gaga over the captain’s bare torso, guys went all passive-aggressive and joined him in shooting expletives, while shutterbugs went into a frenzy to click this exhibition of emotions.