Who are Australian cricket’s biggest villains?

Last week I wrote an article – inspired by Virat Kohli – about the biggest villains to visit Australia’s shores.

The piece generated a lot of fun debate, though a portion of the chatter ended up being dedicated to asking who Australia’s villains were or are.

Once that became the topic of discussion, the names started to roll off the tongue; and not just because we’re all more familiar with our homegrown cricketers. The truth is, Australia has had quite a number of individuals that can be seamlessly categorised as villains.

Therefore, in the spirit of being balanced and fair, let’s take a look at the ‘bad guys’ that the land Down Under has produced.

Just a reminder that the main qualities we’re looking for include: talented, a match-winner, the ability to get under the skin of the opposition, along with their fans, and a penchant – if not outright love – for a little bit of banter. It also probably helps if Johnathan Agnew would prefer you played cricket in a slightly different manner.

So, without further delay, here we go.

Davey Warner
He may be the most feared batsman in world cricket at present. However, I suspect that his prowess with the bat accounts for less than 10 per cent of the reason Warner earns a place on this list. Whenever there is niggle or altercations on the field, Warner seems to be in the thick of it, of which there was further evidence in Sunday’s game.

He often sledges while in the field. Heck, he seems to sledge when he bats. He simply doesn’t appear to be very popular with opponents. In short, he ticks every single box, and is most definitely a villain. Oh, and he also punched Joe Root in a nightclub, so there’s that.

Shane Warne
The greatest leg-spinner of all time, and perhaps even the greatest bowler of all time, Warne certainly has the talent credentials covered. Combined with the mind games he loved to play with the opposition, his colourful off-field ‘performances’, and an almost constant presence in some sort of drama during his career (and post-career as well, for that matter), and Warne was always going to pool strongly in this debate.

A suspension for taking a banned substance, extramarital affairs, a master sledger, an all-time match-winner, and the list just goes on and on. In fact, I think Warney might actually take some beating for this crown.

Mitch Johnson
The list of injured batsmen courtesy of a Johnson thunderbolt is what cements MJ’s place on this list. He’s also prone to the odd outburst, whether that be throwing the ball at the stumps as a batsman leaves his crease, or a verbal spray at the end of his follow-through. He’s a pretty intimidating fellow, as most villains should be. He just needs to bring back the handlebar moustache.

Brad Haddin
All wicket-keepers are lippy, but Haddin takes it to a whole other level. Suggesting Haddin likes to talk is akin to saying Miranda Kerr is attractive; it’s an understatement of epic proportions. Hadds has been involved in many skirmishes over the years, which hasn’t endeared himself to many opponents. Though he’s free of any major altercation during his career, he’s also never far from the action when things get a little heated.

Greg Chappell
Chappell is considered one of Australia’s greatest ever batsman, yet what sees him earn villain status is the level of vitriol he elicits in just two countries. His decision to instruct his brother to bowl underarm in a One Day game against New Zealand has ensured he’ll always receive a hostile reception across the Tasman. Meanwhile, his stint as coach of India won him few fans in that country, as he seemed to ruffle few feathers. Chappell doesn’t have all the attributes of a traditional villain, but regardless, based almost purely on the underarm incident, it’s hard to leave him off this list.

Ian Healy
Heals had run-ins with a number of opposition players, most famously Desmond Haynes, Brian Lara and Arjuna Ranatunga. A tough, no nonsense Queenslander who never took a backwards step, Healy played his cricket very hard, and that got under the noses of those he played against, thus warranting selection in this squad.

Steve Waugh
Sledging had been around long before Steve Waugh was even born. However, Waugh gave sledging a more sophisticated nickname – namely ‘mental disintegration’ – during his helm as Australian captain. The ruthless style in which the Australian team played under his leadership saw them became one of the best Test teams of all time, but that style, along with their success, didn’t please everybody; to put it mildly. As the perceived architect of that era, some emphatically see Waugh as a villain.

Michael Clarke
I hesitated putting Clarke on this list because I don’t think he’s really a villain at all, nor do I think he’s perceived that way overseas. However, one incident stands out and may or may not be enough for him to sneak into this line-up. The incident, of course, was when he told English bowler Jimmy Anderson to ready himself for an injury to his arm. With an expletive thrown in for good measure. Some Australians were embarrassed, but it actually won a lot of local fans over. The international reaction, however, is a whole different story.

Shane Watson
Watto’s cricket abilities are much more respected overseas than they are in his home country. Though having said that, I’m not sure how well liked Watson is in other countries. From his childish send-off of Chris Gayle, to an elbowing incident with Gautam Gambhir, Watson has unquestionably developed some enemies over the years. The glee with which opponents celebrate his wicket tells you all you need to know about Watto’s popularity with adversaries.

Glenn McGrath
He definitely didn’t like being hit for boundaries, and to be fair, in a glittering career of amazing control, line and length, it didn’t happen all that often. Yet when it did, the volcano that was McGrath’s underlying personality would erupt. He’d spit the dummy, and was prone to giving the batsman a verbal missile. To be honest, it was actually pretty funny to watch, but perhaps that’s just my perverse nature.

Matt Hayden
The quintessential bully. Hayden puffed his chest out and smashed bowlers back over their heads in extremely intimidating fashion. He’d stand at gully and give batsmen an absolute earful all day long, using language that would make a sailor blush. Hayden also annoyed many by playing up to the image of being a man of strong faith, despite uttering words one would never use in a church. Oh yes, Haydos was a villain all right. A damn good one, actually.

Brett Lee
The recently retired Lee was a gentle soul off the pitch, and a very nice guy. But with the ball in his hand, he could be an extremely nasty customer. Blistering pace will always ensure you’re feared, but when you target lower order batsmen with short pitched bowling – to the extent that you chase them down leg side – you’re going to be pegged as a villain; and rightfully so.

I’d love to hear from some of our more ‘experienced’ Roarers, to ascertain what Australian players from yesteryear deserve a mention. Jeff Thompson? Kepler Wessells? Dennis Lillee? Rod Marsh? Ian Chappell?