5 Cricketers who lifted themselves after massive controversies and heartbreaks

Cricket is a sport in which the players are idolised regardless of their country. In India, cricketers are idolised and revered as godlike figures. It’s a sport that creates a sense of patriotism and international competition, and its fans are quite passionate.

Cricketers are often held up as role models, but one must remember that they are human beings who make mistakes. Cricket is no stranger to controversy and heartbreaks, both on and off the field.

Some of them have ruined a cricketer’s career and social life to such an extent that they have never been able to recover. Some players, on the other hand, improved as people and performed even better in their individual professions.

In the article, let’s look at five players who have been embroiled in major controversies but have responded with stronger responses in their careers:

1. Steve Smith

The former Australian captain was embroiled in the sandpaper scandal, which shook the entire cricket world. He summoned a news conference and broke down in front of the media after receiving condemnation from all over the world. Smith promptly resigned as Australia’s captain and admitted responsibility for his actions.

For a year, he was barred from all forms of international and domestic cricket. He was also barred by the BCCI from participating in the 11th edition of the IPL. Later, he stepped down as the captain of the Rajasthan Royals. He returned to competitive cricket in the IPL 2019 after his ban was lifted in 2019. He was then nominated in Australia’s World Cup roster for 2019.

Several times during the World Cup, he saved Australia from collapse. In the semi-final, he scored a vital 85 runs, albeit in a loss. The right-handed unorthodox batter then continued his semblance into the Ashes where he unleashed his beast form. He was named the ‘Player of the Series’ after he scored 774 runs in five matches at an average of 110.57 with three hundreds and three fifties.

His sensational form continued in Test matches, and he also enjoyed a successful ODI stint. In the game’s longest format, he is regarded as the best of the ‘Fab-4’. The manner in which he redeemed himself following the sandpaper controversy is very remarkable. As a result of his performance, he was re-instated as the Australian Test side’s vice-captain.