5 Things cricketers did after getting drunk

Cricket is popularly known as the gentleman’s game. Since its introduction, we have witnessed multiple iconic events graced by the cricketers. Be it Bradman getting out on a duck on his last game, Viv Richards smashing the bowlers for fun, or the West Indies bowlers torturing the opposition during the 1970s and 1980s. There were several moments where the underdogs became the champions, yes, we are talking about the World Cup triumph in 1983, by India and in 1992 by Pakistan. Well, fans have had their share of the money.

As we talk about money, in the modern era, cricket came out as one of the richest sports. By succeeding in this sport, anyone could make millions of money. Apart from that, the fame associated it with makes any successful cricketer an influencer. But, there is another side of the coin of which many cricketers will not like to talk about.

With the virtue of time, cricketers have become more and more popular. Hence, if there is an off-field issue with them, they get into the scanner pretty quickly. There are multiple instances where the careers of those cricketers change because of the actions after getting drunk. So, here are-

5 incidents where cricketers reacted after getting drunk

5. David Warner punching Joe Root

David Warner has been one of the finest performers for Australia since his debut way back in 2009. Till now, he has played 86 Test matches and has scored 7311 runs at an average of 48.1. If we look at his limited-overs performance, Warner has been nothing short of phenomenal. His ODI run tally reads 5455 runs and his T20I tally reads 2265 runs. 

But, there was an instance that led to his exclusion from the 2013 Champions Trophy. When the Aussies went to England for the Ashes, Warner, who was drunk, punched the current English captain Joe Root, who was England’s star batsman. This was an unfortunate incident as it attracted a lot of attention towards Australia, which was struggling in English conditions. This just added salt to the injury for the Aussies.

During the incident, Warner recalled that he thought that Root was making fun of Hashim Amla. Later on, he delivered a blow. This incident meant that disciplinary actions were taken on Warner and he was suspended. Afterward, he later apologized for his actions. And we are now witnessing a more matured Warner scoring plenty of runs for the Australian team.

4. Andrew Flintoff: Fredalo incident

Andrew Flintoff is one of the greatest all-rounders in the history of English cricket. He has helped England to avoid numerous defeats. In his career, Flintoff played 79 Test matches. During that span, Flintoff scored 3845 runs and picked up 226 wickets. In ODIs, he scored 3394 runs with a decent middle-order average of 32.02. Adding on, he has a brilliant economy rate of 4.4 in ODIs. 

The 2007 ICC Cricket World Cup was one of the most one-sided editions of the tournament. Australians were invincible and there was no one to give them a proper challenge. Although the tournament was in news for Australia, there was a popular instance when Flintoff paid a huge price because of his actions after getting drunk. After England lost to New Zealand in the opening game of the tournament, Flintoff went to a nightclub along with his teammates. 

Later on, he had to be reduced after falling off a pedalo. This news spread like a forest fire and Flintoff had to face the repercussions. He was stripped from the role of vice-captaincy and was suspended from the match against Canada. Being a popular cricketer, this incident was something like a bad spot on the face of cricket. 

3. James Faulkner: Car crash

James Faulkner was in phenomenal form during the mid-2010s. He was a match-winner for captain Clarke. His stunning performance in the 2015 World Cup final enabled him to win the player of the match award. Well, he was Australia’s premier all-rounder. 

But, the emergence of other cricketers and a huge dip in his form meant that he had to make way for other cricketers in the squad. Faulkner has played 69 ODIs so far. He has scored 1033 runs and has picked 96 wickets. In IPL too, Faulkner has been phenomenal. In batting, he strikes the ball with a strike rate of 135.82, and while bowling, he bowls with a decent economy rate of 8.69. 

But, there was an instance in which the Aussie allrounder was found guilty. During his stint with Lancashire in August 2013, Faulkner had crashed his car in Manchester after drinking. Adding on, the alcohol level was well over the limit. As a result of which Cricket Australia fined him and suspended him for four games. 

2. Gibbs scoring 175 with a hangover

Herschelle Gibbs was one of the finest fielders and entertainers during the early 2000s. He was a terrific batsman who could change the game on his will. During the 2007 ICC World Cup, Gibbs became the first batsman to hit six sixes in international cricket. He has one of the premier top-order batsmen for South Africa. 

In 90 Test matches, Gibbs scored 6167 runs with a healthy average of 41.67. Talking about his ODI record, Gibbs scored 8094 runs with an average of 35.81. But, there is one inning of Gibbs that is widely regarded as the greatest ODI innings of all time. Against Australia, Gibbs scored 175 runs. The most astonishing part about these innings was Gibbs had admitted that he was in a hangover state during that knock. 

Thanks to Gibbs, South Africa managed to chase down 438 runs at the Wanderers. This game is also widely regarded as one of the best matches in ODI history. Adding on, there is another instance in 2015 where Gibbs was put behind the bars for a drunken-driving case. He was caught and put behind bars because he was driving at a high speed under the influence of alcohol. 

1. Jesse Ryder: Almost died in a brawl

Jesse Ryder was a talented batsman who was unable to contribute to New Zealand cricket properly. He could play attacking cricket and bowl at part-time medium pace. But, his off-field behavior and brawl made his life difficult and hence, his cricketing career was cut short. Well, it was an unfortunate way to get off the cricketing circuit.

In his career, Jesse had played 18 Test matches. During his career, he managed to score a double century too. In ODIs, he played 48 games and scored 1362 runs for New Zealand. But, he had a terrible time under the influence of alcohol.

In 2008, Jesse made the headlines for injuring his hand while trying to smash a window to enter a toilet in a bar. If this was not enough, after five years, he was involved in a brawl outside a bar, named Aikman in Christchurch, which almost killed him. This too, made the headlines as he was in a coma for 56 hours. Fortunately, Jesse won the battle and was stable later on.