Glenn McGrath v Michael Atherton
With Michael Atherton finding it difficult to score off Glenn McGrath’s bowling, the Aussie quick bowler offered the batsman some advice: “Athers, it would help if you got rid of the s*** at the end of your bat.” As Atherton looked at the bottom of his bat, McGrath shouted “No mate, at the other end.”
Jimmy Ormond v Mark Waugh
Jimmy Ormond was a bit of a shock selection for England in the 2001 series and when he arrived at the crease Mark Waugh shouted to him: “Look who it is! Mate, what are you doing here? There’s no way you’re good enough to play for England.” Ormond replied, with a nod to Waugh not being as good a player as his brother Steve: “Maybe not, but at least I’m the best player in my family!”
Merv Hughes v Graeme Hick
For all of the talent he had, Graeme Hick was never able to make a major impact on the international stage. During one innings, he was struggling against Merv Hughes, so the Aussie decided to give him a tip: “Mate, if you just turn the bat over you’ll find the instructions on the other side.”
Ian Healy v Nasser Hussain
Australian wicketkeeper Ian Healy decided to make fun of Nasser Hussain’s big nose with a quip that even the batman found funny. When captain Steve Waugh instructed fielder Ricky Ponting to go and stand under Hussain’s nose, Healy chirped: “That could be anywhere inside a three-mile radius!”
Robin Smith v Merv Hughes - Part 1
Batsman Robin Smith seemed to get under Merv Hughes’ skin. During one passage of play, Hughes said to Smith: “You can’t f****** bat.” Smith then hit Hughes for four and came back with “Hey Merv, we make a fine pair. I can’t f****** bat and you can’t f****** bowl!”
Robin Smith v Merv Hughes - Part 2
Four years later, the pair clashed again with Smith coming out of top. Hughes told him: “It’s four years since I bowled to you and you haven’t improved.” However, Smith once again hit Hughes the boundary and replied: “Neither have you!”
Shane Warne v Paul Collingwood
After the 2005 Ashes, all of England’s players were awarded the MBE, including Paul Collingwood, who played just one game, scoring seven and 10. When the 2006-07 series came around, Shane Warne said to him: “You got an MBE, right? For scoring seven at the Oval? That’s embarrassing!”
Aussie fan v Phil Tufnell
It’s not just the players who get involved in sledging, whilst fielding on the boundary in Australia, Tufnell was subjected to a fair bit of abuse, including this famous line from a fan: “Oi Tuffers, lend us your brain, I’m trying to build an idiot!”
England fan v Matthew Hayden
Not only was Matthew Hayden a great player, he had a cook book published. One England fan decided to critique the Aussie batsman on both his batting and his recipes: “You’re s*** Hayden, and so is your chicken casserole!”
Ian Botham v Rod Marsh
Rob Marsh tried to get under Ian Botham’s skin as he said to him: “How’s your wife and my kids?” Botham’s reply was instantaneous: “The wife’s fine, but the kids are retarded…”
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