Last week, the cricket world was shocked when the Australian Cricket Team was caught tampering with the ball during the 3rd Test match against South Africa in Durban. Australian captain Steven Smith and newcomer Cameron Bancroft admitted to the charges. This was the first time since 2000 that players openly confessed their wrongdoing in front of the media.
Cricket Australia has suspended vice-captain David Warner, believed to be the mastermind along with Smith and Bancroft, for 12 and 9 months, respectively. This incident marks one of the darkest days in Australian cricket history.
However, this is not the first time players have been involved in major controversies. Over the years, some cricketers, known as ‘Bad Boys,’ have been embroiled in scandals that tarnished their reputations and impacted their careers.
Here, we look at 10 such cricketers whose careers were marked by controversies:
10. David Warner (Australia)
David Warner, a top cricketer from Australia, is often called the mastermind behind the ‘Sand Paper Gate’ scandal. Known for his aggressive behavior, Warner has faced many controversies and fights throughout his career.
Former players have criticized him, with Martin Crowe even suggesting a red and yellow card system for players like Warner. One memorable incident was a bar fight with Joe Root during the 2013 Champions Trophy, which led to Warner being dropped from the Australian squad.
Warner’s career took a major hit during a tour in South Africa. He got into a confrontation with Quinton De Kock during the first test, resulting in a fine of 75% of his match fee by the ICC. The situation worsened when he was involved in the ball-tampering scandal, which ended his hopes of ever leading the national team.
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9. Herschelle Gibbs (South Africa)
Herschelle Gibbs was one of the best batsmen in South African cricket history, known for his strong and skilled performance at the top of the batting order. However, he was also often in the news for his involvement in controversies.
Bookies and then-captain Hansie Cronje approached him to score less than 20 runs in a match in exchange for money. Despite scoring 74 runs, he received a six-month suspension and avoided traveling to India for six years due to fear of arrest.
In 2001, Gibbs and some of his teammates received fines from Cricket South Africa for smoking marijuana during a tour in the West Indies. Despite being Cape Coloured, he faced accusations of making racial comments towards Pakistani players and fans, leading to a ban from three games, one in each format of cricket.
8. Salman Butt (Pakistan)
Unlike most players on this list, who had multiple controversies, Salman Butt had only one, but it was so serious that it ended his cricket career.
Salman Butt was one of Pakistan’s best players in both ODI and Test cricket. His career ended suddenly during his second series as captain of the national team due to a huge scandal that shocked the cricket world.
During the fourth Test against England at Lords, Butt, along with bowlers Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif, shared match information with bookmakers for a large sum of money. A sting operation confirmed these accusations, leading the ICC to ban all three players. Butt, who was the captain at the time, received the longest ban of 10 years.
After proving the criminal charges, authorities sentenced Butt to 30 months in prison in London. This marked the first instance of a current captain of an international cricket team being jailed, representing one of the worst scandals in international cricket in over a decade.
7. Marlon Samuels (West Indies)
West Indian players, known for their tall stature and strong personalities, are often regarded as some of the friendliest in cricket. However, Marlon Samuels stands out due to his involvement in several controversies during his career.
In the post-Lara-Chanderpaul era, Samuels emerged as one of the top batsmen in the West Indies team. His troubles began when Indian police accused him of sharing crucial match and pitch information with bookmakers. This accusation resulted in the ICC suspending him for two years starting in 2008, following the release of transcripts of his conversations with a bookie.
Samuels also had public disputes, including a feud with Ben Stokes, where both players exchanged verbal jabs. Yet, the most notorious incident came during the 2013 BBL, when he grabbed David Hussey’s shirt to prevent a run, sparking a confrontation with Shane Warne. Warne verbally and physically confronted Samuels while he was batting, culminating in Warne throwing a ball at Samuels, who responded by angrily throwing his bat in the air. Samuels was subsequently suspended for the remainder of the tournament, marking a low point in BBL history.
6. S. Sreesanth (India)
Shanthakumaran Sreesanth, an Indian cricketer known for his fast bowling, became famous not only for his skills but also for his controversial behavior. He faced more controversies than any other Indian cricketer. His actions both on and off the field led to him being sidelined from international cricket.
Sreesanth first attracted attention during India’s 2006 tour of South Africa when he was fined by the ICC for his behavior towards Andre Nel and Hashim Amla. His aggressive actions continued, and in 2007, he was fined again for shoulder barging Michael Vaughan during a test match.
However, the most infamous incident of his career came in 2013. Sreesanth, along with two other players from Rajasthan Royals, was arrested by Delhi police on charges of fixing IPL matches. This scandal ended his cricketing career abruptly. Sreesanth admitted to his involvement, leading to a lifetime ban from cricket by the BCCI. This was one of the biggest match-fixing scandals in Indian cricket history.
5. Andrew Symonds (Australia)
Andrew Symonds was known for his cricket skills and also for getting into trouble. He often made headlines for things he did off the cricket field. In 2008, he missed a team meeting because he was fishing, which led to him being sent home from the tour of India. A year later, during a tournament in England, he was sent home again after an incident involving alcohol. This marked the end of his career with the Australian team, as Cricket Australia terminated his contract.
One of his most infamous moments came during an interview when he was drunk. He made disrespectful comments about Brendon McCullum and made inappropriate remarks about Matthew Hayden’s wife. Because of this behavior, Cricket Australia punished him and said he couldn’t play again until he improved his behavior.
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4. Shoaib Akhtar (Pakistan)
Shoaib Akhtar, known as one of the fastest bowlers ever in cricket, caused a lot of trouble in his early career. Batsmen were scared to face him because he was so aggressive.
But after his initial success, Akhtar got into many controversies. He was accused of ball-tampering in 2003 and banned. Then in 2004, he got a ban for allegedly abusing Paul Adams. During the 2005 tour of Australia, he was sent home for not following team rules. In 2006, he and Mohammad Asif were involved in a drug scandal. They were accused of using drugs to enhance their performance. Akhtar got a two-year ban but was later cleared.
During the 2007 T20I World Cup, he was accused of hitting Asif with a bat and banned for five matches. In 2008, he broke the Code of Conduct again and faced a five-year ban, which was reduced to one year.
3. Shane Warne (Australia)
Shane Warne is widely considered the best spinner in cricket history. His career was full of achievements that no other bowler has matched. But off the field, he was known for his flashy lifestyle and controversies.
In 1995, Warne and his teammate Mark Waugh were fined by Cricket Australia for taking money from bookmakers. They had shared details about the pitch and weather during a match. In 1999, Warne was banned for two matches by the ICC after clashes with Arjuna Ranatunga, just before the World Cup.
Warne faced a major setback in 2003. He tested positive for a banned drug right before the World Cup and was sent home. He was later banned from cricket for a year. In 2013, he was suspended from the BBL season for verbally and physically attacking Marlon Samuels during a match.
2. Mohammad Asif (Pakistan)
Around 2006, Mohammad Asif was seen as one of the most promising cricketers worldwide. By 2010, however, he became widely disliked in the cricketing community. Known for his accurate bowling and ability to make the ball swing in different directions, Asif seemed destined to become one of Pakistan’s greatest bowlers. Unfortunately, controversies derailed his career.
In 2006, Asif, along with fellow bowler Shoaib Akhtar, faced accusations in a drug scandal involving the use of performance-enhancing drugs to improve their bowling. Asif received a one-year ban from cricket as a consequence. In 2008, he tested positive for steroids during the IPL and faced suspension for the following season.
However, the biggest scandal occurred in 2010 when Asif, along with Mohammad Amir, admitted to accepting money from bookies to fix matches by deliberately bowling no-balls. The ICC suspended them for 5 to 10 years, and they were also imprisoned in London, with Asif receiving a one-year sentence.
1. Jesse Ryder (New Zealand)
Jesse Ryder is a prime example of a player whose international cricket career ended because of constant controversies. He became known for his frequent problems, especially due to his heavy drinking and undisciplined lifestyle. Once seen as a promising future for New Zealand cricket, Ryder lost his place on the national team, leaving many to wonder what could have been.
Ryder’s troubles began in 2009 when he missed a team meeting and practice after a late-night drinking session. His behavior continued to raise concerns, leading him to take a break from cricket in 2012 to work on his on-field discipline. In 2013, he was severely injured in an attack outside a bar in Christchurch, which put him in a coma.
Despite efforts to return, Ryder faced more issues, including incidents involving alcohol with teammates like Jimmy Neesham and Doug Bracewell. These behaviors led to his exclusion from the national team once again, and he has not returned since.
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