Gary Ballance, speaking on the Yorkshire Cricket’s Cover Off podcast, recalled the time he was in “absolute agony” after his Yorkshire teammate Tim Bresnan switched his shower gel with a Deep Heat rub.

“One of the first times I played with you Bres, can’t remember, must have been 2010/11 [2013],” Ballance said. “We’re playing at [the Brunton Memorial Ground] Radlett against Middlesex [in a Pro40 game]”

“I was in the shower, and I had run out of shower gel. Not being very clever, I asked you if I could have some shower gel. Anyway, you chucked a bottle over, I think. I may have been stupid thinking it must be shower gel.

“I rubbed it all over myself, thinking I was getting cleaned. About five minutes, I realise that it was Deep Heat and for the next five-hour bus journey down to Somerset, I was in absolute agony. I still owe you for that, Bres.”

The Deep Heat didn’t rub off well on their friendship, as Bresnan faced a volley of curses from Ballance soon after. The two weren’t on speaking terms for the next month.

“Mate, you called me all the names under the sun for that,” Bresnan chuckled. “You didn’t speak to me for about a month. In fact, our relationship got off to a rocky start because of this I reckon. You were so angry, Gaz!”

“I was in a lot of pain,” Ballance admitted. “That heat rub went everywhere!”