Cricket is a team sport and the bonding of players on the field is there for everyone to see. The energy is reflective of the culture the team breeds on. But there have been instances when teammates have often disapproved and hated each other. There have been several players who have disliked their team members.
We list down 5 such instances of players’ hate towards their teammates:
#5 Krunal Pandya-Deepak Hooda
The Krunal Pandya-Deepak Hooda spat shook Indian cricket. This was the first public feud which was pretty distasteful. Deepak Hooda publicly stated that Krunal Pandya abused him in front of his Baroda teammates. He added that Krunal Pandya started abusing him out of nowhere during a practice session. Pandya even warned Hooda that he will never play for Baroda again. Hooda quit the team midway and he was subsequently barred from the selection.
#4 Shoaib Akhtar-Shahid Afridi
These two players were the quintessential bad boys of Pakistan cricket. They were the attention seekers of the team. Akhtar had often openly expressed that how he could have done playing under a better captain like Imran Khan. Akhtar and Afridi’s relationship soured when Afridi didn’t include Akhtar in the playing XI for the semi-final against India.
#3 Michael Clarke-Simon Katich
Michael Clarke and Simon Katich had an ugly altercation following a team victory. The Aussies used to sing a victory song post every win. Clarke opined that Katich wasn’t singing the way it needs to be done. He mentioned the same to Katich and one thing led to another. It is learnt that Katich grabbed Clarke by his collar and pushed him to the wall. The duo have never got back on talking terms once again.
#2 Adam Gilchrist-Shane Warne
It comes as a surprise that Adam Gilchrist and Shane Warne shared a turbulent relationship. Shane Warne was miffed that Gilchrist was picked ahead of his friend. This did not sit well with Warne and he once referred to Gilchrist as “goody-two-shoes” in a domestic game. To make matters worse Gilchrist was appointed as the vice-captain ahead of Warne. The mates didn’t see eye to eye off the field.
#1 Gautam Gambhir-MS Dhoni
Gautam Gambhir and Mahendra Singh Dhoni staged wonderful partnerships in List-A cricket back in 2003-04. The duo were thick friends and Gambhir really enjoyed playing under Dhoni who gave him complete freedom. But things started going downhill post the World Cup finals. Gambhir didn’t like the fact that Dhoni stole all the limelight. Post the World Cup, there were many instances where Gambhir kept taking digs at Dhoni. The duo never got along the way they did post the World Cup.
