S Sreesanth had a penchant for wild celebrations, especially if the wicket was a big one. Big Aussie opener Matthew Hayden might remember the Kerala pacer’s antics after castling him in the semifinal of the inaugural ICC World Twenty20 in Durban on September 22, 2007.
Sreesanth uprooted the stumps with a yorker, coming round the wicket, and as Hayden walked back, after a fine 62, the charged-up bowler ran up to the other end, sat on his haunches and slapped the wicket three times with his hands.
Just another of Sreesanth’s wild celebrations? Well, there was a reason behind it, and the two-time World Cup winner has explained after 18 years.
“Matthew Hayden looks so big. Most people don’t know why I did what I did. So, he got bowled, and what do you do in WWF (sic), ‘three taps and you are out’,” Sreesanth said during ‘cheeky singles’, a fun-filled show on Jio Hotstar.
Sreesanth was referring to the popular American wrestling promotional event World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), formerly called WWF (World Wrestling Federation). The event that promotes scripted wrestling-related entertainment has a worldwide following, and Sreesanth was (is) a fan.
The wicket of Hayden was a turning point in the match as Australia had been going strong at 134/2 in 14.3 overs, chasing India’s total of 188/5. India won by 15 runs, with Sreesanth claiming 2/12. His most famous contribution was taking the prized catch of Misbah-ul-Haq at fine leg, the last Pakistani wicket, to deliver India the maiden T20 World Cup title.