West Indies Players vs. Board and 5 Famous Cricketing Fallouts

As fallouts go, the one between the West Indies players and their board takes some beating. Future tours, World Cup places, millions of dollars or even the future of cricket in the Caribbean could be at stake if some kind of resolution isn't found.

The latest squabble is one of a number of unseemly spats to have hit the game. Granted, the stakes aren't usually as high as that of a cancelled tour of India. The feelings can be just as sharp, though, especially in the pressure cooker environment of a big game.

Here are five of the best or, rather, worst fallings out from the modern cricket world.

Only in cricket could argy bargy ensue because it was getting a bit dark. Mark Ilott and Robert Croft, good friends off the pitch, got into a slanging match during the closing stages of a 1997 Natwest Trophy semi-final between Essex and Glamorgan.

Under blackening skies and with Essex needing six to win with two-wickets left, Ilott angled to be offered the light. The Glamorgan spinner disagreed with the umpires' decision to take the players off and squared up to Ilott. An unseemly bout of handbags followed that cost the pair £1,000 apiece.

There's a fine line between planting a seed of doubt in the opposition with a well judged comment prior to a match and needling them into a heroic performance. James Faulkner provoked the latter after some injudicious comments before a 2014 World Twenty20 game.

The Aussie all-rounder said of his West Indian opponents in a pre-match press conference (via ABC.net), “I don't particularly like them. You have to do things to get under their skin and try and irritate them to try and get them off their game.”

His verbal assault had exactly the opposite of the desired effect as the West Indies cantered to victory.

The West Indies captain Darren Sammy didn't let Faulkner forget about his outburst. Speaking in a press conference after the match, as reported by Australia's Daily Telegraph, the St Lucian said, “Talk is cheap. Cricket is a game of action. You can talk all you want but it is the action that matters. West Indies acted today. It feels very good to bring it home.”

Touche!

James Faulkner's mind games backfired spectacularly. He should take note from the recent master of mental disintegration, Shane Warne.

Before every series against England there would be talk of a new mystery delivery. The zooter, the clipper, whatever you want to call it. The new phantom ball rarely appeared but the seed had been planted, the trap set and the bluff laid. And Warne was ready to collect.

Warne saved his most savage criticism for poor old Daryll Cullinan. A fearless player against quick bowling, Cullinan was the only batsman not to succumb to Devon Malcolm's amazing spell at the Oval in 1994, scoring 94 out of South Africa's 175. It was a different matter when it came to spin, though, especially when delivered by the burly Australian.

Cullinan eventually sought the help of a psychiatrist to try and overcome his Warne phobia. It was to no avail, though. Warne wrote in the Daily Mail about the South African's return during the 1997/98 tour, “When he walked out to bat, I let him take guard before saying: 'Daryll, I've waited so long for this moment and I'm going to send you straight back to that leather couch.' I bowled him for a duck and he didn't take any further part in the Test series."

A war of words between Mitchell Starc and Kieron Pollard escalated into something far more serious in a 2014 Indian Premier League match between Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bangalore.

Unimpressed that Pollard had pulled out just as he was about to bowl, the lanky Aussie seamer aimed the ball directly at the West Indian all-rounder. Pollard responded by chucking his bat at Starc.

The umpires, with the help of Chris Gayle, quickly restored order but both Pollard and Starc received hefty fines for their frank exchange of views.

International colleagues they may have been but that didn't stop Harbhajan Singh from falling out spectacularly with Indian teammate Sreesanth.

The pair clashed following a 2008 IPL match between Kings XI Punjab and Mumbai Indians. Harbhajan was given an 11-game ban for slapping the volatile fast bowler who was reduced to tears following the incident.

Years later and it seems that Sreesanth is still bitter about what happened. The Times of India reported a series of 2013 tweets from the quickie (later deleted), in which he described Harbhajan as a “backstabbing person.”

It's unlikely they'll be exchanging holiday greetings any time soon.