Five cricketers who are considered to be 'Bad Boys'

Cricketers are often under constant scrutiny. Everything they do, be it professional or personal is monitored and discussed. Hence, in such a scenario, there is no chance of getting away after doing something wrong. Over the years, we’ve seen many cricketers indulge in malpractices and were rightly put under the category – ‘Bad boys of the game’.

These malpractices could include anything – right from what they do on the field to their off-field activities. The off-field activities could include off-field brawls, assaults, sex scandals and many others. These bad boys of cricket, with their improper conduct, brought a disgrace to themselves as well as the game.

Here are five cricketers considered to be the ‘Bad boys’ of the game:

1. Sir Ian Botham

There is no question about Ian Botham‘s cricketing prowess. Undoubtedly, he is one of the finest all-rounders the game has ever seen. With over 7,300 international runs and 528 international wickets, Sir Ian Botham continues to be one of the legends of the game. However, his grandeur on the field by blemished by his off-field antics.

He is one of the most controversial characters and was also suspended in 1986 for smoking cannabis. Furthermore, Botham was accused by Imran Khan of racism and ball tampering. He dug the matter deeper by taking Imran Khan to the court but lost the case. Botham also constantly made headlines for his extramarital affairs and was once arrested on assault charges in Australia.

2. Andrew Symonds

None of the ‘Bad boys’ list would be complete without featuring Andrew Symonds in it. Once hailed as a highly talented all-rounder, Symonds has only himself to blame for the downfall of his career. He was a part of two World Cup-winning teams. In 2005, Symonds was dropped from the Aussie team for two games against Bangladesh as he consumed alcohol on the previous evening breaching the rules. And then, there is always the infamous ‘Monkeygate’ incident which is always associated to him.

Furthermore, Symonds was also suspended from the team for a few months in 2008 as he went fishing instead of attending a team meeting. He was also allegedly involved in a tiff in a bar. Despite all these controversies, Symonds was the highest paid overseas cricket in IPL Auction 2008. With USD 1.35 million, he was only behind MS Dhoni in the auction which is a testimony of his talent. Further, in a radio interview in 2009, he called Brendon McCullum “a lump of sh!+.” Symonds was a binge-drinker and this habit saw an end to his career.

3. Harbhajan Singh

Harbhajan is one of the most successful Indian off-spinners and was India’s lead man in the 2000’s. He was a great talent and even made the best batsmen in the world his bunnies. Despite being highly successful, Bhajji had his fair share of controversies and it only makes sense that he is in this list right after Symonds. He received a lot of criticism after the ‘Monkeygate’ incident when he allegedly called Symonds a ‘monkey’.

Bhajji was initially banned for three Test matches which later was brought down to one game. He could have been far worse off, as the ICC Appeals Commissioner John Hansen later admitted, had he been aware of Harbhajan’s previous transgressions. Just after a few years, he was involved in another controversy when he slapped Sreesanth in an IPL game. Sreesanth was left in tears and Bhajji received a lot of hate after the incident. He was charged with gross misconduct and was banned for the remainder of the IPL, and he was not allowed to collect his remuneration.

4. Shoaib Akhtar

There is no doubt about Shoaib Akhtar’s talent with the ball. Coming in from the league of fast bowlers like Waqar Younis and Wasim Akram, there was a lot expected from this man. He impressed everyone with his skill quite early in his career. However, he could have reached much greater heights in his career if not been for his lifestyle and attitude.

Akhtar’s several brawls also included one with former Pakistan skipper Waqar Younis. There were allegations of ball tampering on him in 2003 and was banned for a short period of time. Along with his teammate Mohammad Asif, Akhtar was tested positive for a performance-enhancing drug. Further, he was banned for five more years for assaulting his old accomplice Asif which however was lifted later on. Akhtar courted more controversy after the release of his autobiography in 2011.

5. Shane Warne

Arguably the best leg spinner ever, Warne was the poster boy of off-field atrocities and is one of the biggest bad boys in cricket. He was one of the biggest match winners for Australia during his playing days and bagged several accolades. With 708 Test wickets and 293 ODI wickets, Warne always sent shivers down the spines of the opposition batsmen. However, he is also one of Australia’s most controversial cricketers.

In 1994, a bookmaker approached Mark Waugh and Shane Warne for pitch and weather information in return for handsome payouts, to which they obliged. This caused a huge havoc amongst the cricketing circles. Furthermore, he was also involved in numerous scandals revolving around his marriage life. Warne also passed scathy remarks on the opposition cricketers. In an IPL game in 2009, he sipped beer on the field when someone from the crowd offered it to him.