We have seen many gentlemen in cricket known for their calm behaviour on and off the field. Some cricketers are aggressive only on the field but very calm off the field. However, some players have been involved in off-field activities that have created controversies, and their careers have been affected by these activities. So, here's a list of the top ten most significant off-field arguments in cricket history.
1. Kevin Pietersen
Kevin Pietersen is one of the most stylish players in cricket history, as he was the one who started playing shots like switch hits and reverse sweeps. From 2005 to 2008, Kevin Pietersen was in his prime as he used to be a man army for England's team. In 2012, England dropped Pietersen from the group, and he was accused of sending text messages to South African cricketers where Kevin Pietersen was criticizing his England teammates. This was called a text gate, which became one of the biggest reasons for Pietersen's career downfall.
2. Hardik Pandya & KL Rahul
Hardik Pandya and KL Rahul are one of the most talented cricketers in modern-day cricket. Both cricketers have excellent timing to hit the ball. But they both created one of the most significant off-field controversies in cricket. In 2019, Hardik and KL Rahul went to the show called Koffee with Karan. There were many controversial statements and comments made on the front. Even Hardik Pandya made some nasty remarks about women and many things. For this, BCCI suspended Hardik and KL Rahul for the Australian tour. After their public apologies, BCCI gave a green signal to both of them.
3. Andrew Symonds
In August 2008, Andrew Symonds was sent home by his Australian team for skipping a team meeting as he was fishing. Team management asked Andrew Symonds to reconsider his desire to play, and the Australian team dropped him from Australia’s squad for the tour of India. Again, after a year, Symonds was sent home by the Australian team from England in the middle of the ICC T20 World Cup. But this time, Andrew Symonds was out because of his alcohol-related incident, and after this, he never got to play for Australia.
4. Andrew Flintoff
Andrew Flintoff is one of the biggest all-rounders that England has ever produced. No one can forget his heroics in the 2005 Ashes series. Andrew Flintoff faced weight issues in the early phase of their career. England dropped him during the 2007 World Cup as he was following a late-night drinking party. Andrew Flintoff was also involved in the infamous pedalo incident in the West Indies, where he attempted to get out and find a boat where he thought Ian Botham was sitting. Andrew Flintoff drank for eight hours straight, and after this, his teammate helped him.
5. David Warner
David Warner is one of modern-day cricket's best and most aggressive batsmen. Even though he always has been a part of many controversies, in this incident, he punched England’s batsman, Joe Root. This incident occurred at 2 a.m. when Warner thought that Joe Root was impersonating Hashim Amla. After this, it is believed that David Warner punched Joe Root.
6. James Faulkner
In today’s cricket, hardly anyone knows James Faulkner, but he used to be one of the best all-rounders for the Australian team. When Australia won the 2015 World Cup, James Faulkner got the man of the match for his epic performance in the finals. But he hit the rock bottom of his career when the local police caught James Faulkner drunk driving in Manchester. It was widely reported that he was found several times over the legal blood alcoholic in the United Kingdom. For this, the Australian Board suspended James Faulkner for four matches.
7. Ricky Ponting
Former Australian skipper Ricky Ponting has won two one-day world cups for Australia and is one of the best captains in cricket history. Apart from his batting and captaincy records, Ricky Ponting faced one of the most significant setbacks in his career when he returned with a black eye. In 1999, Ricky Ponting went to a nightclub in King’s Cross and got heavily drunk. Ricky Ponting was involved in a fight that gave him the black eye.
8. Monty Panesar
Monty Panesar is a former spinner of England. In 2013, England Police fined him after he was caught urinating on nightclub bouncers. Monty Panesar was charged for being drunk and disorderly outside the Shush Club. Sussex County Cricket Club confirmed that an incident involving Monty Panesar took place. After this, he apologized for his misbehavior regarding this club incident.
9. Shoaib Akhtar
Shoaib Akhtar is unarguably the fastest bowler in cricket history. In his prime, he was the most lethal bowler in the world. Apart from his bowling, Shoaib Akhtar has always been in the spotlight because of his controversies in 2006. In 2006, Pakistan cricket was shocked by a massive drug scandal in which Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Afif were the prime suspects as they were found guilty of using performance-enhancement drugs. Shoaib Akhtar was accused of beating Asif with the bat during the 2007 World Cup, and the Pakistani Board banned him for five matches.
10. Jesse Ryder
Jesse Ryder is a former New Zealand batsman and is undoubtedly the most controversial player. Jesse Ryder is the most prominent example of a player whose international career ended due to many controversies. No player has been involved in more discussions than him because of his prolonged drinking habits and Ryder’s undisciplined lifestyle. In 2009, Jesse Ryder got drunk late at night and missed the team meeting the following day.
