Top 10 controversial autobiographies of cricketers

Some tried to be brutally honest, some attempted desperate self-justifications, and others kindled old fire while a handful perceived it as merely a mode of advertisement. At the end of the day, they all wrote controversy. As Kevin Pietersen’s autobiography continues to dominate headlines, let’s take a look at nine others that began as a personal account of a cricketer’s life but ended up as manuscripts of controversy.

#10 Controversially Yours Shoaib Akhtar

Shoaib Akhtar

The carefree narrative of the relaxed and somewhat languid former Pakistani pacer Shoaib Akhtar is hardly remarkable except a few jabs at Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and some seniors in his national team. While the media raised a hue and cry over Akhtar’s questionable opinions, the essence of the book – the story of a poor village kid struggling with his heath following his passion and tasting fairytale success at the highest echelon of sports – was somehow lost in the echo.

Yes, Akhtar did raise a few eyebrows with his comments on Wasim Akram, and Javed Miandad and his candid confessions of ball tampering were indeed too casual for comfort. Typical Shoaib, as one who knows him would say: straightforward, reckless and mildly exaggerating. The administrative strife with the then PCB Chairman Nasim Ashraf was dramatized enough to nourish the ploy of popularizing his book, thereby ensuring its widespread sale.

#9 Sunny Days - Sunil Gavaskar

Sunil Gavaskar

India’s finest right-hander and the greatest in his time had been a controversial cricketer on and off the field. With a penchant for honesty and complete disregard for diplomacy, Gavaskar was known to speak his mind out in the open on several issues regardless of their controversial quotient.

Although ‘Sunny Days’ was mostly benign and had no notorious accounts that could trouble critics, it was branded pretty courageous for its time because of Gavaskar’s straightforward attitude and opinionated remarks.

#8 Back to the Mark Dennis Lillee

Dennis Lillee

"I try to hit a batsman in the rib-cage when I bowl a purposeful bouncer, and I want it to hurt so much that the batsman doesn't want to face me anymore."

When he published his narrative in 1974, Dennis Lillee appalled everyone with his ruthless mindset, unsparing attitude and lackadaisical way of stating the horrible. His on-field aggression was equally evident in his words as he sketched a vicious picture with unconcerned phrases that made his book viral even in those days of puritan culture.

#7 Save the Last Ball Chris Pringle

Chris Pringle

Former New Zealand bowler Chris Pringle stunned the world by being the first cricketer to admit to ball tampering during his feat of 11/152 in his third Test at Faisalabad against Pakistan. The logic he put forward was equally – if not more – appalling: he did it for he was certain that the Pakistani bowlers were doing it.

Released in 1998, his autobiography spoke of how he carved a ball using a bottletop in the Faisalabad Test. In his brief Test career, he ended up scalping only 19 from 13 other matches at a horrifying average of 65.

#6 Botham: My Autobiography Ian Botham

Ian Botham

The bestselling autobiography of cricketing legend Ian Botham turned out to be notorious on certain accounts as he profusely described personal upheavals and confrontations with peers in addition to fighting sex and drug allegations. The former England cricketer withholds no truth as he recounts the court case with Imran Khan as vividly as the1999/2000 tour to South Africa.

As the all-rounder narrated his life on and off the field, he went on providing various anecdotes that included the charge that Pakistan bowlers interfered with the ball. The tales and confessions regarding marijuana abuse propelled the sales and made his book a bestseller in almost no time.

#5 Thrown Out Ian Meckiff

Ian Meckiff

Uncompromising and ruthless former Australian skipper Bobby Simpson accused several cricketers including Ian MecKiff for chucking, in his autobiography, ‘Captain’s Story’. As a consequence, he was sued by the fast-bowler for libel in 1965 with the case ultimately ending five years later followed by an apology from Simpson.

When Meckiff finally released his memoirs under the name ‘Thrown Out’, it ruffled quite a few feathers as predicted. He made a case of himself on sympathetic grounds, presented himself as a sacrificial lamb and openly criticized his former teammates and contemporaries.

#4 True Colors Adam Gilchrist

Adam Gilchrist

Celebrated Australian wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist ensured that his autobiography would fly off the shelves when he launched an attack on Harbhajan Singh, Sachin Tendulkar and the BCCI regarding the Monkeygate scandal involving Andrew Symonds and the Indian off-spinner.

Gilchrist rekindled the controversy in his 2008 book questioning Tendulkar’s honesty during the tribunal concerning that affair – a move that drew a fair amount of flak from the Indian team, especially Harbhajan. He lambasted the BCCI for ‘playing politics’ and Cricket Australia and the ICC for ‘caving in’ when the spinner’s original suspension was taken off. Later on, however, he called Tendulkar to clarify that his statements were presented ‘out of context’.

#3 Over to Me Jim Laker

Jim Laker

The great off-spinner from England who is better known for his record 19/90 at Old Trafford in 1956 had been awarded honorary membership of the MCC and of his county, Surrey, after his retirement in 1959. However, his autobiography that came out in the following year irked the MCC and Surrey so much that his memberships were summarily withdrawn, although temporarily.

The tone of the book was distinctly sharp and scathing especially towards Laker’s skipper at Surrey and England, Peter May. The volumes of underlying resentment and anger that characterized the book upped its market, but it also conveyed a grave story of Laker never really enjoying his time in the game – which, given his achievements, cannot certainly be the case.

#2 To the Point Herschelle Gibbs

Herschelle Gibbs

The most gifted yet most indisciplined South African cricketer in modern times incurred the wrath of seniors like Graeme Smith and Jacques Kallis and the then batting consultant Kepler Wessels with his impetuous autobiography ‘To the Point’ in 2010.

He recalled his exploits of drinking, drugs and sexual orgies in addition to infrequent criticisms of senior players in the Proteas team in his book, which he attempted to defend as ‘open and honest’. While many lauded him for highlighting the grey areas of cricket as boldly as possible, others lost respect and ceased to consider him a part of the Proteas team. What effectively happened is that Gibbs never turned up in national colors after this incident.

#1 KP: The Autobiography Kevin Pietersen

Kevin Pietersen

Rejected England cricketer Kevin Pietersen has virtually ended his career with his own hands after resorting to several brash outbursts in his recent autobiography. England’s most prolific, equally controversial and egotistic batsman spared none – right from coach Andy Flower to his teammates – as he obliterated literary decency with phrases that ruffled feathers, wagged tongues, and potentially divided the cricketing world into two rival factions: one that supported him and the other that cried foul and expressed absolute disgust.

From the apparent culture of bullying in the dressing room to Jonathan Trott’s depression, Flower’s coaching regime to Matt Prior’s backstabbing tactics, Pietersen touched every sensitive note that he could in the least subtle fashion. His citing a number of Australian and Indian opponents who could endorse his opinions, and the continuous media interviews preceding the release of the book intensified the hype and ensured a grand opening.