Major controversies that shaped cricket

By Adrian Meredith

Over the past so many years, the game of cricket has won many hearts but at the same time a huge number of controversies did hit the game and its reputation but thankfully the game has always managed to rise about these cricket controversies and is all set to take center-stage at a global level. Adrian Meredith takes a look at the most famous or rather infamous cricket controversies that ruled and shaped the Gentlemen's Game.

 

W G Grace and professional cricket:

Cricket had always been known as "the gentleman's game" and as such players were not paid to play. W G Grace changed all of that. In the 1850s, Grace's father, who owned a first class cricket ground, charged more money than other grounds so that a proportion of it could be given to his son, W G. He accepted kick backs from owners of other grounds and administrators, buying him clothes, paying for accommodation, and all sorts of under the table deals. The administrators of the game turned a blind eye to it, largely because W G Grace was known as the greatest player ever to play the game; but eventually they had a stand off. As a result of the stand off, Grace demanded for all first class cricketers to be paid to play. The decision went to a vote, and it was initially decided that players could choose to be professional or not. During the debate that followed, players who chose to be amateurs created nasty rumours and outright lies against the professional players, especially against W G Grace, including the infamous lie that Grace, when clean bowled, neatly replaced the bails, with a comment of either "a bit of wind in the air today" or alternatively "these folks came to watch me bat, not to watch you bowl". This, of course, is a lie; but the fact that it persists in some quarters today just highlights how nasty the campaign was. Ultimately, however, professional cricket was created and, thanks to Grace, English cricketers were paid to play and didn't have to have jobs outside of cricket.

The first test match did not involve W G Grace:

After all that he had done for cricket, W G Grace was widely expected to be the first official English test captain. This was not the case, however, as the 1877 tour, which would later be given test status, had an entirely different captain and indeed an entirely different English side to that which had toured with Grace. There was much anger in England when the series was retrospectively given test status, many arguing that it wasn't a full England side if Grace wasn't taking part. There were many petitions to strip it of international status and instead to grant the first test in England, which Grace took part in and was captain, to be the first official test. But diplomacy won through and the 1877 match remains as the first official test.

Australian Billy Midwinter changes sides mid tour

Billy Midwinter went to England in 1878, in the first ever test series in England, having previously played for Australia in 1877. W G Grace virtually kidnapped Midwinter and forced him to play for the country of his birth, England. This, in spite of Midwinter being named as part of the squad to represent Australia! In 1882, he changed back to Australia and played for Australia again in 1883 and 1884. Midwinter even captained Australia! This was probably the most controversial example of a player changing sides, and certainly the only example of a player changing sides mid tour! Nowadays players have to live in a new country for 5 years before being eligible! All to stop Grace from kidnapping another player!

Don Bradman demands to play professionally

Professional cricket remained solely in England until the 1970s when World Series Cricket emerged to change the game forever; but as one of many battles to get cricket to be played professionally, Australia's greatest ever player and probably the best in world history, Don Bradman, in 1931 demanded to be paid to play, and considered going to England to play county cricket. He was instead offered work as a cricket journalist; but when the Board of Control for Cricket in Australia refused to let him comment on matches he took part in, Bradman went on strike and refused to play in what was supposed to be the 1932/33 test tour to New Zealand. Because Bradman didn't take part, the matches were not given test status. Bradman commentated on the entire tour, both on radio and newspapers. At the completion of the tour, R C Packer, grandfather of Kerry Packer, offered Bradman a job commentating on cricket matches - that did not involve a team he was a part of. The Board of Control accepted and Bradman played for Australia again.

Bodyline is created to stop Bradman

In 1932/33, fresh from his strike, Bradman faced what was at the time called "leg side trap", whereby the English bowlers, led by Douglas Jardine, packed the leg side field and bowled non stop bouncers. By packing the leg side field they cut out the pull shot, meaning that players had little chance to safely play the bouncer. Bradman still topped the averages for the tour, averaging 57, but it was significantly below his normal standard. Soon after this, non stop bouncers were outlawed, and field placings were restricted.

Imran Khan plays first class cricket in England

After Bradman threatened to play first class county cricket in England, Imran Khan actually did it. The Pakistan Cricket Board didn't like it but decided to let him go. Imran Khan didn't even play first class cricket in Pakistan at the time, yet was still selected in the international squad. As a result, Imran Khan was able to make a living from cricket, and, he claims, he was able to instil the virtues of the professional cricketer onto the Pakistan cricket team, improving their play.

World Series Cricket emerges - with ODIs and professional cricket worldwide

Probably the single most important controversy in cricket history emerged obstensibly over the right for a commercial TV channel, Australia's Channel 9, to be able to broadcast cricket matches - then solely owned by Australia's government-owned ABC TV channel. Kerry Packer, the owner of Channel 9, demanded it and was so angry at the refusal that he set up World Series Cricket, based largely on: 1) South African players who wanted to play professional cricket but were banned by apartheid, 2) West Indians cricketers not being paid enough and 3) One Day International cricket being very popular. Packer set up his own rules for ODIs, rules that have largely stayed until today, introducing coloured clothing, and he had 3 main teams: West Indies, Australia and a "World" team, that was largely South African based. The series was much more popular than tests played at the time, when the 3rd best team at the time, England, briefly replaced West Indies and Australia as the dominant test team. The World Series Cricket "super tests" were some of the most popular and well loved matches of all time.

South Africa return to international cricket

South Africa being banned wasn't controversial - apartheid was universally condemned and South Africa were banned from international sports of all kinds for it; but their return, especially when and how they returned, was highly controversial. In 1992 Australia and New Zealand were preparing for an 8 team ODI World Cup and suddenly had to accommodate a 9th team. Australia hosted South Africa in the first match - and lost - which would lead to Australia narrowly missing the semi finals. They got their revenge though, with a controversial and ultimately silly rain reduction system that meant that South Africa went from needing 22 off 7 balls to win to needing 21 off 1 - the first of many times that they would fail in the knockout stages of a world cup - though this time at least it wasn't their fault.

Muralitharan called for throwing

Muttiah Muralitharan wasn't a particularly well known bowler when he was called for throwing. He was the first player of Tamil descent (albeit Indian Tamil) to play for Sri Lanka during a time when Sri Lanka had a great problem, a guerilla war, involving Tamils. His inclusion was largely thought to be token, as a way to broker peace, as his performances were not nearly as good as the other players in the team. But that peace was about to be shattered as he was called for throwing mid match. So horrific was the way that the umpire called him that he was taken off and then, later in the tour, when he was called for throwing mid ODI, during his run up, Sri Lankan's captain led the team off the field. The Sri Lankan team refused to participate in any games involving umpires who were going to call Murali for throwing and threatened to boycott the tour. Murali wasn't called for throwing outside of Australia, or by any umpires that were not Australian. He was tested, proven not to be throwing, new laws were put in about flexion, and he eventually became the greatest ever test wicket taker with 800 wickets - while the umpire that first called him ended up being banned for umpiring after another controversy. Yet still the rumours about him being a chucker persist to this day.

Hansie Cronje forfeits an innings - later proven to be match fixing

Rain had all but forced a draw in a test involving South Africa and England, with 3 full days washed out due to rain, when, with 1 day remaining, Cronje forfeited South Africa's entire 1st innings, leading to South Africa chasing a tough total, which they eventually lost very narrowly. It was at the time seen as excitement plus, and Cronje was praised - until he was later proven, and admitted, to be a match fixer, and this match was the most obvious one. Many matches were later suggested to be tainted by match fixing and Cronje was banned from all forms of cricket - as were many others including Mohammad Azharrudin, left stranded on 99 test matches. Cronje was soon after mysteriously killed in a plane crash, with some suggesting it may have been related to the match fixing.

News of the World sets up 3 Pakistani players as spot fixers

Mid trial, News of the World were forcibly disbanded for lying to such outrageous degrees, involving the English royal family, celebrities and murder victims, in the phone hacking scandal, yet still their evidence was used to lead to 3 Pakistan players - Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Asif and Salman Butt - being banned for 5 years each for spot fixing, in relation to massive no balls that Amir and Asif bowled. There was money found in Salman Butt's rooms, voice messages and texts on phones, and a player agent that widely claimed to be friends with celebrities and to have done impossible things. And yet this implausible story still led to not only them being banned but they even went to jail! Luckily for Pakistan, the other 30 or so Pakistan players that this tabloid lied about being involved were ignored by the ICC, after their stories went from the sublime to the ridiculous with accusations left, right and centre, all based on absolutely nothing. As a result, though, Pakistan were forced to make radical changes, and, with Misbah and Afridi in charge, they have improved significantly.

Chris Gayle complains about the WICB and is banned

The WICB have refused to give the West Indian players a fair take of the earnings, something that has persistently been argued, with strikes galore, for the past 10 years or so. They are probably the most unfair board, in terms of money, in the entire world. Yet Gayle was singled out, not just because he went on strike for more money, but because he dared to speak publicly about the WICB's incompetence to a local radio station. As a result, he was banned from the team. Gayle went on to make bucketloads of money by being the player of the tournament in the IPL and doing very well in T20 tournaments the world over. West Indies, meanwhile, hired effectively a professional captain in Darren Sammy, a player who was on the fringes of national selection, but is a natural leader. Gayle has recently returned and West Indies look better than ever.

Kevin Pietersen forced to retire, then banned after he sides with the opposition:

Kevin Pietersen wanted to retire from ODIs only, but the English Cricket Board has a strict rule about retirements that says that if you retire from ODIs you will be forced to also retire from T20s. And so he did, just before the start of the World T20, which England are the reigning champions of, and were World Number 1 in T20s, with Pietersen their best player, having been player of the tournament in the last World T20. But things got worse when, after the 2nd test against South Africa, in which Pietersen was easily the best player on either side, and saved the match for England and all but won it - Pietersen then complained about the performance of his fellow players - quite rightly too as the rest of the team did very little in spite of Pietersen doing everything. But, crucially, Pietersen sent texts to South African players, saying how bad England had performed. This kind of thing used to be okay going back a few years, when players used to get together in a pub for a drink after the game, but nowadays, or perhaps just because it is Pietersen, it led to him being banned from the team. He may even be gone forever. And this in spite of him tearfully asking to come back, and rescinding his retirement.