While cricket as a sport is known for its sportsmanship and fair play, there have been instances where certain teams and players have shown unprofessional behaviour on or off the field. These incidents have attracted public attention and welcomed hate or penalty against the team, or the player involved. In this article we look at ten such instants where cricketers have shown unprofessional moments.
1. Vinoo Mankad (1947)
Indian spinner, Vinoo Mankad, was involved in a controversial moment when he ran out Australian batsman Bill Brown for backing up too far before the ball was delivered. Even though Mankading is legal now according to ICC rules but back then it was considered an unprofessional act.
2. Pakistan Forfeiting The Oval Test (2006)
A moment that showed unprofessionalism happened when the Pakistan team refused to take the field after being penalized for ball tampering leading to the first test forfeit in cricket history. This incident sparked widespread controversy and debates. Pakistan’s decision to refuse to continue the match received backlash from the whole cricketing community.
3. Marlon Samuels And Shane Warne (2013)
During the Big Bash League in 2013, Shane Warne clashed with Marlon Samuels, and both had a heated exchange during the match. The altercation was not only verbal but also turned physical after a few verbal attacks and included both players hurling equipment at each other. This altercation continued off the field when Marlon Samuels commented on Shane Warne during a press conference after the match. Both players were penalized for their unprofessional actions.
4. Umpire Steve Bucknor (2006)
Umpire Steve Bucknor made many wrong decisions during the Australia versus India Test match in 2006. This shows not only unprofessionalism from his side but also his discriminatory behaviour while umpiring. He received a lot of criticism for this act.
5. Andrew Flintoff (2007)
Andrew Flintoff, great English player, was involved in late-night drinking during the 2007 World Cup. When the news came out, he received a lot of criticism and disciplinary action was taken against him during the tournament. This act of Flintoff showed his unprofessionalism towards the game.
6. The “Mintgate” Controversy (2008)
Australian captain Ricky Ponting was accused of using a mint to alter the surface of the leather ball during a Test match against South Africa. The incident gained significant attention and the footage of Ricky Ponting doing the act gained views online and fuelled the controversy.
7. Australian Ball Tampering (2018)
Australian players Cameron Bancroft, David Warner and Steve Smith were involved in a ball-tampering controversy during a test match against South Africa in 2018. This led for a subsequent ban of one year to all three cricketers involved. This incident showcased unprofessionalism in the gentleman’s game.
8. Mike Gatting And Shakoor Rana
The Mike Gating and Shakoor Rana confrontation serves as a reminder to maintaining mutual respect and sportsmanship in cricket. It highlighted the need for absence of egoist mindset while playing the game. The incident when Shakoor Rana the umpire accused the England captain of moving a fielder after the bowler started his runup. This led to a verbal argument between both the people involved.
9. Shahid Afridi (2010)
In a limited-overs match against Australia, Pakistani captain Shahid Afridi was caught biting the ball to alter its movement and surface so that they could have advantage while bowling. This incident is the best example of unprofessionalism in cricket as it showcases the desperation of using unfair methods to win matches.
10. Aussies And Vernon Philander
Australian players David Warner and Nathan Lyon were caught making fun of Vernon Philander’s respiratory illness during a test match at Newlands in 2020. This led to outrage among cricket fans and even Cricket Australia investigated the incident. David Warner publicly apologized for his behaviour and even Cricket Australia issued an apology.
