5 occasions when two star players had a difficult relationship

As an international cricketer you live an exciting lifestyle, travelling all around the world for various competitions. Unfortunately for some players, this also means spending a lot of time with your teammates at close quarters.This high pressure environment has gotten the better of many a man, as throughout history there has been countless occasions of big-name players butting heads. From dressing room scuffles to on-field spats, here are 5 examples of when two star teammates had a difficult relationship.

#5 Shane Watson & Michael Clarke

Best of enemies: Clarke and Watson

While Shane Watson and Michael Clarke have never been the best of friends, there’s always been a mutual respect for one another. However, this respect was pushed to its absolute limits on Australia’s 2013 tour of India, after the infamous “homework-gate” scandal, where Watson and teammates Mitchell Johnson, James Pattinson and Usman Khawaja failed to hand in a team assignment.

Watson was particularly lambasted following this, and Clarke was among the main people to sink the boot into his vice-captain. 

After being banned for one game after his indiscretion, Watson returned home to Australia for the birth of his first child and was reportedly contemplating retirement after the drama that had occurred. Watson ended up returning to the Test team for the fourth Test, and funnily enough, ended up replacing Clarke as captain due to his withdrawal through injury.

After this ugly scenario, both players were happy to put this behind them. However, it quickly came to light that Clarke had told coach Mickey Arthur that Watson was a “cancer” on the side, and should be dropped due to this.

From there, their relationship has never been fully repaired, and although another public spat hasn’t played out, rumblings of another Clarke-Watson rift was murmured about at the start of this year.