Cricket is one of the most celebrated sports in the world. Cricket is known as a “Gentlemen’s game”, as even after losing the match, teams shake hands with opponents and sometimes praise them. In the long history of cricket, we have seen many gentlemen and calm players like Sachin, Dhoni, and Kane Williamson. But amongst these less controversial players, some players are known for their controversies. It can be said that the controversy is the second name of them. So, here are the ten most controversial players from each country.
1. S. Sreesanth, India
Sreesanth is a two-time World Cup-winning player. He is the one who took the winning catch of the 2007 World Cup. Despite his aggressive bowling, he is very famous for controversies. There are several controversies attached to him. But the famous one came in 2013 when he got involved in IPL spot-fixing, which ended his career. Later, the ban was reduced. Even during his playing days, he was controversial because of his unnecessary aggression. He was also involved in the Slapgate Scandal of the 2008 World Cup.
2. Ben Stokes, England
If you think Andrew Flintoff or Kevin Pietersen is England’s most controversial player. Then, it is not the correct answer. England’s test captain, Ben Stokes, has engaged in several countries. In 2017, he was involved in a street fight outside a nightclub in Bristol. After that, he got banned for eight matches and could not play the Ashes in 2017-18. Even though, in 2018, Ben Stokes was found not guilty.
3. Shane Warne, Australia
Legendary Spinner Shane Warne was the best spinner this game has ever seen. But despite his legendary career, he was involved in many controversies. From match-fixing to affairs, he had seen everything. In 1994, he was involved in making arrangements with an Indian bookie. In 2003, he got banned for a year after getting positive for a banned substance. His multiple affairs became the reason for his divorce.
4. Hansie Cronje, South Africa
South Africa is known as the most oversized choker of the game, back in 2000, when the whole cricket world was all around with fixing scandals. On April 7th, 2000, Hansie Cronje was involved in fixing the match against India. On June 15th, 2000, Cronje confessed that he had taken $1,00,000 in bribes from bookies since 1996. He said that he had never fixed a match. Cronje got a time ban for it, and he revealed that Azhar introduced him to bookies. Unfortunately, in 2002, Cronje died in a plane crash.
5. Chris Cairns, New Zealand
New Zealand is a team with no haters. They are always appreciated for their sportsmanship and gentle gestures on the ground. Kane Williamson has set the example of the gentlemen’s game. But Chris Cairns got engaged in the match-fixing saga. Chris Cairns will be remembered as one of the greatest all-rounders of New Zealand. In 2013, he was guilty of match-fixing when he captained Chandigarh Lions in the Indian Cricket League (ICL). In 2010, former IPL commissioner Lalit Modi revealed that Chris Cairns had fixed the matches in 2008.
6. Chris Gayle, West Indies
There are plenty of players who have been into controversies. But Chris Gayle is the most controversial player of West Indies. He is known for his playful image. In 2016, Chris Gayle was fined $1,00,000 by his club for his unprofessional statements from a TV reporter. Even when he got unsold in IPL, he slammed RCB and PBKS with his statement. He said, “Teams need to be loyal to their players”. Apart from his controversial remarks, he is still one of the greatest T20 batsmen.
7. Shoaib Akhtar, Pakistan
Rawalpindi Express, Shoaib Akhtar is the fastest bowler in cricket history. However, throughout his career, he was involved in many controversies. He was famous for his controversial statements. Like in his book, he wrote that Sachin Tendulkar used to fear him. He was involved in ball-tempering cases as well. Often, controversies are created because of his bowling action. 2006, PCB suspended him when they found a performance-enhancing substance in him. Even now, his friendly fight with Virender Sehwag and other cricketers is going on.
8. Shakib Al Hasan, Bangladesh
There is no doubt that Shakib Al Hasan is the greatest All-rounder that Bangladesh has ever produced. During a Dhaka Premier Division Cricket Match, he first kicked the stumps when the umpire refused his appeal against Mushfiqur Rahim. There was an incident in which Shakib Al Hasan lost his temper and fought with his fans. In a BPL match, he argued with the umpire for a wide ball, which did not go to his side. Recently, his conflict has been going on with Tamim Iqbal. As he said, Tamim was not ready to bat at No.3 in the World Cup. Shakib Al Hasan called Tamim “childish” and not a team player.
9. Arjuna Ranatunga, Sri Lanka
Arjuna Ranatunga was the 1996 World Cup-winning captain. During his cricketing days, he was known for controversially calling a runner during long batting because of his fitness level. He often got criticized for his fitness. Ranatunga also made allegations of match-fixing and said that the 2011 final was fixed. He also got into the spotlight when he gave remarks on IPL and said that IPL is causing loss to Sri Lankan Boards, as England’s tour of Sri Lanka got postponed.
10. Brendan Taylor, Zimbabwe
Former Zimbabwe cricket captain Brendan Taylor was one of the best batsmen in their country. In his last ODI match, he scored a century. In 2022, he made a statement regarding match-fixing. Brendan said that he was blackmailed to do match-fixing. He got this offer from an Indian Businessman. Taylor said he took $15,000 from the fixers but never fixed or manipulated games.
