Top 10 cricket controversies: Part 1

Like Rajasthan Royals’ co-owner Raj Kundra, I too woke up to the shocking news about spot-fixing allegations and the arrests of three of the Royals’ key players. It made me think of all the controversies world cricket has seen over the nearly two centuries that have passed since the game originated in England. And it has also made people wonder: Is cricket a gentleman’s game anymore?

Betting has been a fixture in sporting circles for a long time now. You can chain the actual method of placing wagers using legal means, but how do you chain greed? That is something that cannot be answered either by the alleged perpetrators or the victims.

This article is the first of a two-part feature on some of the controversial incidents that have rocked the cricket world at different times. I’ve deliberately stayed away from the recent one owing to the matter still being sub-judice (apologies for the legal speak):

5. Pakistan v/s England, 4th Test, August 2006 – Ball Tampering

Umpires Darrell Hair and Billy Doctrove ruled that the Pakistani players had indulged in ball tampering, awarding 5 penalty runs to the England team and a replacement ball. On the face of it, it looked like yet another instance of a ‘crime’ committed by the Pakistan team, which has always been in the eye of the storm of most controversies. Although then-captain Inzamam-ul-Haq was acquitted of the charges, it left a dark cloud hanging over his teammates. It led to Darrell Hair’s ban from officiating in all matches and his subsequent retirement.

4. Bodyline (1932-33 Ashes)

Perhaps the 20th century’s first great cricket controversy was the infamous Bodyline series between old rivals England and Australia. Originally a tactic designed to counter the prolific run-scoring of Australia’s greatest batsman Donald Bradman, it snowballed into a major incident with possible diplomatic ramifications. The tactic of bowling fast, short-pitched deliveries at the body nearly killed Australian captain Bill Woodfull and wicket-keeper Bert Oldfield, resulting in Woodfull’s immortal statement: “There are two teams out there. One is playing cricket. The other is making no attempt to do so.” An effective but highly debatable strategy for success, Bodyline was later abolished under MCC and ICC rules. Nevertheless, it is an incident that still rankles Australians.

3. Underarm Bowling Incident (Australia v/s New Zealand, Benson & Hedges World Series Cup, 1981)

Australian captain Greg Chappell was no stranger to controversy. The desperation to win was so evident in his approach that he made his brother Trevor bowl the final ball of the match in the underarm fashion to prevent Kiwi batsman Brian McKechnie from hitting the winning six needed. His objective was achieved, but it left a bad taste in everyone’s mouth. Ironically, McKechnie was censured for bringing the game into disrepute after he threw his bat to the ground in disgust, and worse, the underarm delivery was technically a no-ball because one fielder was not in place. This, again, led to underarm bowling being rightfully banned by the ICC.

2. IPL 2012 Spot-Fixing Controversy

The 5th edition of the IPL faced its own controversial period when a sting operation carried out by a Hindi TV channel revealed that five players had agreed to carry out spot-fixing in exchange for large sums of money. The BCCI reacted swiftly, imposing a life ban on one while the others received bans ranging from one year to five years. What’s more, some of these players revealed that their franchise owners had paid more money than they had got at the IPL auction. This was a prelude to the scandal that has just rocked this year’s edition too.

1. Cronje-gate, 2000

South African captain Hansie Cronje admitted to accepting money from an Indian bookmaker for ‘forecasting match results’. He also revealed offering varied sums to some of his teammates to under-perform in an ODI against India. This was the first instance of match-fixing in the 21st century, an event that led to Cronje’s sacking as skipper and being banned for life. It also led to life bans being placed on Indian cricketers Mohammad Azharuddin & Ajay Jadeja, and subsequently, a complete revamp of Indian cricket.

If greed, for lack of a better word, is ‘good’, why does it destroy careers and lives? Perhaps we may never get a concrete answer to this question. Till then, this sordid saga continues.