5 England players hated by the Australians

Sports is of utmost importance in the cultures of both England and Australia. On the international level, Australia versus England is the ultimate sporting rivalry that draws in full houses.

Due to the history of sporadic sporting fierceness, players of both sides feel the pressure, both on and off the field.

The most famous sports rivalry between the two countries is the Ashes Test Cricket Series, that is hosted alternately by England and Australia.

When the upcoming Ashes series gets underway on 23rd November at the Gabba, it will be the 70th time when England and Australia lock horns for the iconic urn.

Now let's quickly glance into the past to understand why certain English players became thorns in Australia's flesh and were blatantly hated for their antics on an off the field.

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Stuart Broad

England’s second-most prolific Test wicket-taker behind James Anderson was subjected to criticism when he refused to walk off after edging Ashton Agar to slip during the first Test of 2013 Ashes series at Trent Bridge.

It was a turning point in the match as after two failed attempts Australia were unable to review Aleem Dar's not-out decision.

Broad, on 37 at the time, added 28 to his score and England secured victory by only 14 runs.

The 27-year-old later clarified that the noise of the ball flicking Australia wicketkeeper Brad Haddin's gloves before going to Clarke caused confusion.

Australian coach Darren Lehmann labelled Broad a 'blatant cheat'.

It didn’t seem to bother the 109-Test veteran too much as he took 21 wickets despite a 5-0 whitewash of England during the return series played in Australia later that year.

Ian Botham

Ian Botham

Botham's name appears more often than any other player on the Lord's Honours Board - nine entries on the bowlers' board and one appearance on the batsmen's board.

Currently 15th on the all-time list, in 1986 he became the leading wicket-taker in Test history in August, beating Australian Dennis Lillee's mark of 355.

He was a volatile character during his playing days and lost his temper easily.

During a 1977 Test in Melbourne, he overheard former Australian captain Ian Chappell boasting of his country's superiority over England in a bar.

Botham, playing Down Under on a youth scholarship programme, ended up punching Chappell, knocked him over a table and then chased him outside.

"Ian Chappell was a coward. He needed a crowd around him before he would say anything. He was sour like milk that had been sitting in the sun for a week", said Botham.

The pair reportedly almost came to blows at the Adelaide Oval car park during the 2010-11 Ashes.

Robin Smith

Robin Smith

Former Australian cricketer Merv Hughes was more famous for his sledging than his bowling. England's Robin Smith shared an intense rivalry with the gigantic Australian.

Both were involved in several verbal duels as well. Once, a frustrated Merv swore at Smith, "You can’t f*****g bat”. A calm and composed Smith replied, “Hey Merv. We make a fine pair. I can’t f*****g bat, you can’t f*****g bowl!"

Smith, the South African-born right-hander, played 62 Tests for England between 1988 and 1996, scoring 4,236 runs at 43.67.

The Ashes of 1989 propelled him into the limelight as he almost single-handedly stood up to the all-conquering Australian touring attack of 1989, which regained the iconic urn.

Geoffrey Boycott

Geoffrey Boycott was a universal foe. Unliked by his teammates, he was also the public enemy number one in Australia.

From the time he walked out to bat in his first Ashes Test until the day he hung up his boots, Boycott was considered irrelevant for being self-centered in his quest for runs.

The Yorkshireman scored 8114 Test runs and 22 Test centuries but due to his defensive approach, he would end up annoying his own team and opposition alike.

The Yorkie batsman was devoted to the art of boring batting and occupying the crease was everything to him. After his retirement, Boycott became a commentator and he was often outspoken and controversial with his comments on both radio and television.

Douglas Jardine

Douglas Jardine

In the last 135 years of the Ashes series, the most controversial was the Bodyline series of 1932-33. England captain Douglas Jardine ordered his fast bowlers to bowl straight at the bodies of the Australian batsmen.

Bodyline, which was the most questionable and dangerous tactic ever used on the cricket field, made Jardine a universal villain of cricket.

In his quest for the Ashes urn, Jardine played with the physical safety and lives of batsmen.

He believed that Donald Bradman, with a staggering average of 139.14, struggled against high-bouncing deliveries aimed at his chest.

Bradman missed the first Test amid speculation of a nervous breakdown as England won the series 4-1. His batting average in the series was 56.