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When Angry Indian Fans Named A Donkey After Australian Batter Damien Martyn 

image-loie9tbgMartyn recalled being shamed for his 'nudge' to Pawar (screengrab)

Damien Martyn carried mixed feelings as he recalled the aftermath of Australia's famous triumph at the ICC Champions Trophy 2006 on Indian shores. 

Former Australia middle-order stalwart remembered facing the heat from emotions-packed Indian cricket lovers after confronting claims of arrogantly shoving the then BCCI president Sharad Pawar off the dias used to award the ICC trophy to the Ricky Ponting-led side. 

As West Indies collapsed and wilted in front of the mighty Australians at the Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai in November 2006, Martyn and the rest of the winning juggernaut were accused of being egoistic in their celebratory moments by asking Pawar to quickly move off the pedestal reserved for them. 



That created a massive furore in the country, especially in Maharashtra, where The National Congress Party (NCP) leader Pawar enjoyed immense fame and support. Political angle aside, Indian fans blamed the Aussies for swaggering against one of their own and robbing the ex BCCI head of the respect he deserved. 

Damien Martyn Recalls 2006 Sharad Pawar Controversy 

Speaking in the popular 'Club Prairie Fire' podcast alongside former teammate and Aussie legend Adam Gilchrist, Martyn, however, pleaded innocence in the entire controversy, suggesting he only "pushed Pawar a little bit" without meaning any harm and disrespect. 

The moment was interpreted as a mark of arrogance on Australia's part but Martyn said all they wanted to do was to tell Pawar to leave the stage and not delay their winning celebrations after handing over the trophy to Ponting and company. 

"I don’t know what happened there! I just pushed him a little bit. A little nudge. He was in the front of our photo, wasn’t he? He made his speech and didn’t want to leave the stage. Brad Hogg asked (Pawar to get off) nicely. Ricky Ponting did the same. So I just gave him a nice little Aussie sledge, like a nudge. I didn’t think nothing of it. But it turned into a nightmare."



"I got into the changing room and the team manager was there with the phone. He asked me to talk to a Cricket Australia official. I was like ‘jeez that moved fast! That escalated!’ Then I had to write a letter."

Much to the amusement and laughs of Gilchrist and former England skipper Michael Vaughan on the podcast, Martyn reminisced a donkey being named after him in angst and revenge by Indian fans, who couldn't stand the disrespect caused to Pawar and responded in their own way. 

"The next day, they were burning flags of me in the streets in India. And there was a donkey with my name on it with a mob around it! I’m not sure that donkey survived that day! That was one of the highlights of my career… someone put my name on a donkey! I tell my son the whole time, you’ve made it (big) when you have that done to you," he added.