7 instances when Australian sledging was met with a fitting response

#2 Ian Botham to Rodney Marsh: \"The wife is fine, the kids are retarded though.\"

Sledging in the Ashes is a very common thing and the Australians are, more often than not, the aggressors. However, the Englishmen have not been far behind as well and have given it back to the Aussies whenever they could.

During the 1982/83 Ashes series in Australia, great England allrounder Ian Botham came in to bat and Rod Marsh welcomed him by asking, “How’s your wife and my kids?” Although Botham did not take too kindly to this personal attack, he kept his calm and replied, “The wife is fine, the kids are retarded through.”

It was one of the finest examples of tackling sledging tactics with a straight face and remains among the most memorable sledging instances in cricket history.