5 captains who stepped down from their positions after controversies

In the game of cricket, the captains are extremely crucial for decision-making if a team has to win a match or tournament. He/she represents the team in the coin toss and appoints the squad’s starting XI. The skipper is in charge of all tactical decisions made on the field. Furthermore, captains are accountable for ensuring team camaraderie off the field.

Many brilliant captains have graced their presence on the field of cricket like Ricky Ponting, MS Dhoni, Kane Williamson, etc. However, many captains have also been under the radar for getting tangled in unwanted incidents. The controversies have deepened to such an extent that they have had to step down from captaincy duties for the absolute interests of the team.

In the article, we have a look at five captains who have stepped down from the role of captaincy after being involved in controversies:

1. Tim Paine – Australia (2021)

On November 19, just before the start of a historic Ashes, Australian skipper Tim Paine resigned from captaincy duties. Paine was allegedly involved in a sexting scandal with a female colleague four years ago. He addressed the media and broke down in tears while resigning as captain in the “best interests of his team, family, and the entire cricket fraternity.”

Paine was involved in an obscene text exchange with a co-worker at that time. He’d exchanged sexual graphics with a female colleague. The Cricket Australia Integrity Unit then thoroughly investigated the matter with his full participation. It was later determined that Paine didn’t violate Cricket Australia’s Code of Conduct and hence, he was given a clean chit.

However, a news corporation decided to make Paine’s chats public which forced him to relinquish Test captaincy of Australia. He said, “On reflection, my actions in 2017 do not meet the standard of Australian cricket captain or the wider community. I’m deeply sorry for the hurt and pain that I have caused to my wife, my family, and to the other party. I’m sorry for any damage that this does to the reputation of our sport.”