Wicked Wicket Words

I was in J’burg when Australia took on their arch rival S Africa in semi final of the world cup. I had planned to be part of boisterous crowd in a sports pub but when I heard the scorecard 25 for 5, I decided against it. Had South Africa started well, I am sure I would have had enough dose of jabs, digs of verbal warfare from South African every time ball would hit by Protease batsman. In Sydney bars, it would have been far more caustic. After all Aussies are inventors of this art.

In today’s The Star Newspaper – an article ‘Wicked Wicket Words’ list some of the famous ‘ chirping’ or ‘sledging’ quotes – An art of insulting your opponent to break down his concentration :

Ian Botham arriving at crease and is greeted by aussie wicket keeper Rod Marsh : ‘ Hi, how is your wife and my kids ‘

Glen McGrath asked Zimbabwean Eddo Brandes ‘why he had become fat’ . Brandes reply “McGrath’s wife gave him a biscuit each time he made love to her”!!

When Daryll Cullinan arrived at the wicket, Shane Warne told him that he had been waiting for two years for another chance to humiliate him. ‘Looks like you spent all that time eating’ Cullinan retorted.

In Adelaide, Javed Miandad called Merv Hughes a “a fat bus conductor” . A few balls later, Hughes got Miandad out But instead of appealing , he yelled “ Tickets please” !!

Devon Malcolm to Viv Richards, who was having trouble connecting bat to the ball, ‘Its round and its red – now try playing it’. Richard hit next ball out of ground then said to Malcolm ‘You know what it looks like, now go @/*ing find it!!”