'You two won’t get out alive in Barbados': Haddin revisits ugly confrontation

Australia and West Indies are engaged in a two-match Test series and the former have already taken a 1-0 lead in the contest. The Pat Cummins-led Australian unit thrashed West Indies by a huge margin of 154 runs in the series opener in Perth and the second match will start from December 8 in Adelaide.

Amidst the ongoing series, former Australia wicketkeeper-batter Brad Haddin opened up about an ugly on-field confrontation with West Indies cricketer Sulieman Benn, an incident which took place way back in 2009. The incident involved Haddin, Benn and former Australia quick Mitchell Johnson and it took place in the first Test of the 2009-10 summer.

Following the ugly confrontation, the 6ft 5' Windies spinner was suspended for two matches, while Haddin and Johnson got away with fine.

The tension broke out, when Benn collided with Johnson while trying to field off his own bowling. Following the collision, words were exchanged between the two and moments later Haddin too became a part of the tension.

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The ex-Australian wicketkeeper had then pointed his bat towards Benn after he gestured to throw at the striker’s end with Haddin standing well inside his crease.

Haddin spoke in length about the confrontation while commentating the first Test on Triple M.

Recalling the incident, Haddin said: “He (Benn) used to want to sledge us but he didn’t really want us to hear which wasn’t a great character trait.

“But then he said something really weird, we were about to head to the T20 World Cup and he said ‘You two won’t get out alive in Barbados, I will stab you’ and I said ‘beg your pardon’ and that then is when it got misty and I don’t really know what happened after that.

“You’re sticking up for your mate, we’ve always been close Jonno (Johnson) and I so I’ve just gone in and pointed the bat and said ‘this is on now, you can’t say things like that’.”

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Following the incident, Haddin was penalised 25 percent of his match fee. “I remember I got fined 25 per cent of my match fee and I looked at it and I signed it and I handed it straight back and walked out,” Haddin said.

“And he said ‘Hads what are you doing?’ And I said ‘mate that was all worth it, I’m happy to pay 25 per cent’.”

Johnson was fined 10 per cent of his match fee for his role in the incident. The hosts had won the match by an innings and 65 runs.

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