ICC Cricket World Cup: Top 5 controversial moments in India-Pak encounters
New Delhi: Whenever India play Pakistan in a cricket match, there's bound to be some drama as players are high on adrenaline, not willing to let their foot down to outplay the opposition.
Whether it comes to skills or verbal exchanges, players of both the teams leave no stone unturned to emerge victorious. With all the hype and buzz around what is touted to be the "mother of all clashes", players often indulge in verbal exchanges and altercations which, despite looking ugly, make the game even more exciting.
And when the Men in Blue take on Pakistan in their fourth World Cup fixture in Manchester on Sunday, one can be rest assured that apart from cricket, fans would be treated be some raw emotions and heated verbal exchanges at Old Trafford.
India have an awesome record against Pakistan when it comes to World Cup, leading the 1992 champions 6-0 in all editions of the showpiece event.
IANS takes a look at the top five controversial moments which took place in the past during the high-octane India-Pakistan clashes:
Javed Miandad mimicking Kiran More in 1992
During the 1992 World Cup match at Sydney in Australia, Pakistan's Javed Miandad was getting agitated by India wicketkeeper Kiran More's excessive appealing.
The two exchanged words and Miandad even complained to the umpire. In the very next delivery, the Pakistan batsman ran a double and even though he had made his ground, More took the bails off and appealed for a run-out.
More's over-enthusiastic appeal for a leg-side catch of Miandad during the match brought out one of the most hilarious reactions from the Pakistan batsman. A frustrated Miandad jumped up and down to mimic More, leaving everyone in splits.
Venkatesh Prasad's perfect reply to Amir Sohail in 1996
In the 1996 World Cup quarterfinal at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, Pakistan were in a formidable position during their chase of 287, with Amir Sohail keeping the scorers busy.
After he brought up his fifty with a lovely cover drive off the bowling of Venkatesh Prasad, some words were exchanged between the duo. Sohail pointed at the cover boundary, suggesting that he would be hitting Prasad's next ball there.
However, it was the Indian medium pacer who had the last laugh as he clean bowled Sohail the very next ball.
Prasad, who was generally quite calm and composed, didn't hold back and gave a send-off to Sohail.
Verbal exchange between Gambhir, Afridi in 2007
During the third ODI of Pakistan's tour of India in 2007, India opener Gautam Gambhir got involved in a nasty verbal altercation with Shahid Afridi at the Green Park stadium in Kanpur.
After Gambhir hit Afridi for a boundary, the Pakistan all-rounder uttered a few words which the former didn't react to. However, in the same over, Gambhir collided with Afridi while taking a quick single. Following the collision, pleasantries (in Hindi and Punjabi) were exchanged between the duo and eventually the umpires had to intervene to calm down both the players.
Gambhir-Kamran verbal spat in 2010
Another incident involving Gambhir occurred in the fourth game of the 2010 Asia Cup in Dambulla, Sri Lanka. The left-hander missed a nudge around the corner off Saeed Ajmal and the ball was pouched by wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal, who thought he had his man. He
made an overzealous appeal for a catch which was eventually turned down by the umpire.
However, during the drinks break, Gambhir and Kamran advanced towards each other and almost butted heads while exchanging glares and spilling expletives at each other.
Umpire Billy Bowden had to intervene to separate them and Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who was Gambhir's batting partner at that moment, quickly pulled the Delhi lad away to defuse the tension.
Harbhajan-Akhtar showdown
In the same match where Gambhir and Kamran Akmal were involved in a verbal spat, a showdown also took place between Shoaib Akhtar and Harbhajan Singh in the dying moments of the game.
India, chasing 267, needed seven runs of the last over. The atmosphere was tense as India didn't have any proper batsman at the crease. Akhtar, who bowled the penultimate over, was trying to ensure that Harbhajan didn't take India home.
During the over, the off-spinner missed one of the balls and Akhtar started hurling expletives in Punjabi. Seeing both the players getting high on emotions, the umpires were forced to intervene.
However, it was Harbhajan who had the last laugh as he smacked Mohammad Amir for a maximum in the next over. He was seen roaring like a tiger which didn't impress Akhtar, who was stationed at the fine-leg boundary.
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Congress promises Rs 2,500 to women per month if voted to power in Delhi
New Delhi, Jan 6: Ahead of the Delhi assembly polls, the Congress on Monday announced 'Pyaari Didi Yojana', promising a monthly financial assistance of Rs 2,500 to women if voted to power in the national capital.
The scheme would be rolled out on the lines of the model adopted by the Congress government in Karnataka.
AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal in December last year announced the launch of the 'Mukhya Mantri Mahila Samman Yojna' to give a monthly assistance of Rs 1,000 to women in Delhi, and promised the amount would be raised to Rs 2,100 after the elections.
During a public rally on Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi assured the people of Delhi that no welfare scheme will be discontinued if the BJP forms the government and made a strong appeal to them to get rid of the Kejriwal-led party.
Announcing the scheme, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar said it aims to financially empower women, promising that it would be implemented at the first Cabinet meeting of the new government.
"Today, I have come here to launch the Pyaari Didi Yojana. We are confident that a Congress government will be formed in Delhi, and on the first day of the new Cabinet, we will implement the scheme to provide Rs 2,500 to every woman in the capital," Shivakumar said.
"Whatever and wherever Congress has promised in the nation or state level, we have delivered and we are going to deliver," he said.
Within three months after coming to power, all the guarantees were implemented in Karnataka.
Women in the entire state travel free in buses, 10 kg of rice is being given to every household, about Rs 3,000 given to the unemployed youth, 200 unit of electricity, and Rs 2,000 is being to every women. Additionally, 1.22 crore women are getting Rs 2,000 every month, he said.
After implementing the guarantees of Congress in Karnataka, every family there is saving Rs 4,000 to 5,000, which has brought a big change in the lives of crores of people and on the basis of the same success, Congress party will work to bring a change in the lives of people in Delhi too, he said.
While addressing media, Delhi Congress chief Devender Yadav said that their tag line would be "Hogi har jarurat puri, Congress hai jaruri" (every need will be fulfilled, Congress is needed).
Yadav claimed that there is an an impostor in Delhi who is continuously working to show people dreams.
It is been 11 years and the condition of Delhi is deteriorating, he said.
"I am happy that we have announced the scheme through Shivakumar. In coming days, we will come with many such schemes which are very important for Delhi," the Congress leader said.
After the formation of the Congress government in Delhi, in the first Cabinet, a decision will be taken to give Rs 2,500 per month to each woman under women empowerment and social welfare for the half of the population of Delhi and this amount will be deposited in their accounts every month, Yadav said.
"We assure the people of Delhi that when Congress party comes to power here, we will implement the Congress schemes with the same faith and determination as we had implemented in Karnataka, Telangana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, and earlier in Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan," he claimed.
Yadav later concluded his address to media by saying that "Karnataka ne ki hai umeedein puri, Delhi ne kaha hai Congress hai jaruri" (Karnataka has fulfilled all the expectations, Delhi said that Congress is needed).
Elections to the 70-member Delhi Assembly are due in February.
Yadav, the party's Delhi in-charge Qazi Nizamuddin, and other senior leaders were present during the announcement.
