Cricket is a tiring game and gives a lot of stress to the players; therefore the players must relax a little bit so that they can get mentally prepared for the next challenge. Smoking and Drinking are injurious to health, and no one should promote such habits, but in the name of relaxation, many cricket players indulge in smoking and drinking. While releasing mental stress, they end up harming their physique and immunity. Some players also land up in trouble due to their smoking and drinking habits.
1. David Warner
The Australian opener has been a key asset for his national team but has landed in many controversies ever since. He got banned from all forms of cricket for the 2018 ball-tampering incident. He has a habit of drinking and has landed himself in trouble because of his drinking habits several times. Warner allegedly punched Joe Root under the influence of alcohol in 2013. Warner thought that Root was talking rubbish about Muslims, especially Hashim Amla, which made him punch the latter on the face. He got axed from the squad for the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy after this bar fight. He later issued an apology for his behavior and promised to control his rage in the future. Warner was lashed out by former Australian players as well.
2. Ben Stokes
The World Cup hero for England, Ben Stokes, has been seen drinking and smoking many times. He has landed himself in all sorts of trouble because of his habits. In 2013 he was sent back from England's tour of Australia after he ignored warnings about his drinking. He got banished because of 'Unprofessional Conduct' after receiving a written warning for his excessive drinking behavior. He later regretted his actions off the field and apologized for them, saying he will bounce back and will control his behavior.
3. Hardik Pandya
Hardik Pandya is known for his big sixes on the field and a flashy lifestyle off the field. He is a party animal and enjoys his lifestyle, and loves to share his fun moments with everyone. He has been seen many times indulging in vaping and drinking activities. Recently he was caught smoking in a video shared from Sakshi Dhoni's birthday party.
4. Chris Gayle
Chris Gayle is famous for his long sixes and offbeat nature, he has a very fun-loving character and loves to hang around with women. He is also a party animal and has been seen smoking and drinking occasionally, especially during parties, but the 'universe boss' never got in trouble because of his habits.
5. Shane Warne
The Australian spin wizard does not miss out on featuring in any controversial topic surrounding the sport. From drinking alcohol to having numerous affairs with women, he happens to be a smoker too. He has been spotted smoking on many occasions, be it in the dressing room or even in public; he has an addiction to smoking.
6. KL Rahul
One of the most swashbuckling batsmen in the limited-overs format, KL Rahul has made his way into the Indian team through immense hard work. However, he was involved in many off-field controversies. During India's tour of the West Indies, Rahul posted a picture of himself with a beer bottle on his social media which received a lot of backlash from the audience, and eventually, BCCI asked Rahul to remove the post.
7. Andrew Flintoff
One of the finest all-rounders in the game, Andrew Flintoff, was very much involved in controversies in his career. Controversies followed him like a stalker. One such incident happened during the 2007 World Cup when England lost to New Zealand- that night, Flintoff was indulged in a late-night drinking episode and had to be rescued in the morning after falling off a pedalo. This incident was spread by the media as the 'Fredalo' incident. Flintoff was stripped off of his vice-captain position and had to pay a fine. He was also not allowed to participate against Canada in their next match.
8. Monty Panesar
Monty Panesar's career is on the verge of an end due to his drinking problem. He has been caught drinking and indulging in unpleasant behavior many times. He was once fined, for urinating in public under alcoholic influence. Panesar was reportedly harassing women in a club when he was asked to leave the club; he later started urinating from the promenade above the venue onto the bouncers of the club who were standing below.
9. Jesse Ryder
The New Zealander has landed himself in trouble many times due to his drinking problem and alcoholic nature. Once, he badly injured his hand while trying to break the window of a bar under the influence of alcohol. Jesse Ryder almost ended his life after getting heavily injured because of his involvement in a drunken brawl. He was in a coma for 56 hours before regaining his consciousness.
10. James Faulkner
James Faulkner received a four-match suspension by CAB for drinking too much. He crashed his car after a night out drinking episode with Tim Paine and was caught consuming over twice the legal alcohol limit. He got warned for his habits as soon as this incident took place and the board responded quickly to suspend the all-rounder.
