‘That’s why you’re not the coach’: Touchy TV scenes as greats trade sledges

Mark Waugh has sledged fellow Aussie cricket great Mike Hussey over a controversial moment in the Boxing Day Test.

Mark Waugh has hilariously sledged fellow Australian great Mike Hussey after the pair disagreed in a comical spat that was broadcast live on Saturday.

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The duo were at odds over how Indian star Rishabh Pant got out in the first innings when he was caught in the deep after a miscued ramp shot.

Rant was on 28 with India 5-191 in response to Australia’s 474 when he played the shot off Scott Boland despite fielders at fine leg and deep third man.

“That’s unacceptable,” Waugh said on Fox Cricket.

“I know he’s a very aggressive player and a player that is a bit out of the box and unpredictable but you’ve got to read the game situation and read the field.

“There were two men back for that exact shot so the percentages are not in your favour, unless you hit it for six you’re going to be caught somewhere in the deep.

“It’s just too hard of a shot and too risky of a shot to play with any degree of confidence and I’d be pulling him into line saying you didn’t need to do that.

“If you’re going to be attacking, run at the bowler and hit him over mid-off, I’d much rather that shot than that shot.”

But Hussey disagreed and said “you’ve got to take the good with the bad” when it comes to players like Pant.

“It’s a hard one though isn’t it because that’s the way he likes to play, he likes to play these crazy shots and if you start putting too much doubt in his mind then it might just confuse him more,” he said.

“It is a poor shot, don’t get me wrong.”

Former England captain Michael Vaughan sided with Hussey and put a question to Waugh: “Rishabh Pant is an exceptional talent, he plays in a way that not many play the game, wouldn’t you give him the licence to keep on playing in that fashion?”

“No, because that’s not an excuse,” Waugh said.

“That’s an awful shot when his team needed him to make an innings. I get it he’s an aggressive player and I want to see him be aggressive but you’ve still got to have some boundaries with the shots you play. There’s got to be a level of restraint and percentages in your favour and that shot falling down.”

Hussey argued that if Pant had hit a six then Waugh could have praised him in commentary.

“It is a difficult situation because it’s not a great shot and it’s not a great look, especially for an Indian team looking to fight hard,” Hussey said.

“But you don’t want to put doubt in his mind, he’s at his best when he’s clear and free and playing his natural way. I’d be disappointed with the shot, I’m sure he’d be disappointed with the shot but I don’t want him to change the way he plays.”

Hussey has worked as an assistant coach for England’s T20 and in the Indian Premier League and this time it was Waugh who asked a question.

“So you’re saying that’s ok, as a coach?” Waugh asked.

“Yep, I’d say go for it mate, do what you want to do,” Hussey responded.

“That’s why you’re not head coach, just assistant coach,” Waugh shot back to laughter from Hussey and Vaughan.

Originally published as ‘That’s why you’re not the coach’: Touchy TV scenes as greats trade sledges