If you thought Australian cricketers are the biggest sledgers in sport, you could be mistaken. India v Pakistan hockey matches of yesteryear threw up a world of abuse, according to some Pakistanis, who were part of those action-packed encounters.

Former Pakistan striker and current assistant coach Rehan Butt reveals it was almost like war on the pitch. “We took huge pride in our hockey. So, on the pitch, if any India player dodged past us or tackled hard, we gave it back in equal measure. I remember once, [former India striker] Gagan Ajit Singh and I had a massive argument on the pitch. Things came to a boil and there were loads of abuses from both sides. I can’t mention the expletives here,” Butt tells mid-day.