Five Controversies That Hit the Cricket Fraternity in 2017

With few days left to celebrate another new year, it is the perfect time to take a look back what has gone by in the world of cricket. The year 2017 was saw plenty of records being broken, runs being scored, wickets being taken, but it also had its fair share of controversies on and off the field.

Cricket is always appreciated as a gentlemen’s game. However, if we look back at the history of cricket, we can see many conflicts that rocked the sporting circles all over the world and of course damaged the spirit of the game; however, it couldn’t bring a dip in its popularity.

From Anil Kumble resigning from the head coach post of Indian cricket team after a scuffle with skipper Virat Kohli to the Ben Stokes saga ahead of the Magellan Ashes down under to Steve Smith’s ‘Brain-fade’ incident during the Bengaluru Test earlier this year, 2017 was no short of controversies that rocked the cricketing world.

Also Read: Match Referee Mike Proctor Opens Up on Infamous Monkeygate Controversy

Here is the list of top five controversies that took place in 2017:

Ben Stokes Saga: England’s Test vice-captain Ben Stokes was arrested by the police after getting involved in a brawl outside a nightclub in the streets of Bristol on September 25. In a video which surfaced late, Stokes was spotted hurling punches at a man. His teammate Alex Hales was also spotted alongside Stokes.

Somerset and Avon’s police confirmed that Ben Stokes was arrested on suspicion of causing actual bodily harm – an offence which carries a maximum prison sentence of five years – while another man was taken to hospital with facial injuries. Reportedly, Stokes also injured his hand during the confrontation.

However, Stokes was excluded from the Ashes squad that took the flight to Australia as England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) suspended him till he was acquitted of all charges.

The file regarding this case has been passed to the Crown Prosecution Service and Stokes has been provisionally named in England’s one-day squad for the series against Australia that follows the Ashes.

Steve Smith’s ‘brain-fade’ incident: India’s comeback in the second test at Bengaluru from conceding 87 runs lead in the first innings against Australia to win the match by 75 runs was overshadowed by Steve Smith’s ‘brain-fade’ moment.

Smith was been given out LBW and he was seen in an animated conversation with his non-striking partner Peter Handscomb before looking towards the dressing room for some indication on whether he should use his team’s lone referral.

This didn’t go down well with the Indian skipper Virat Kohli as he accused his counterpart of foul play and admitted that he has seen the Australians looking at dressing room twice when he was batting.

However, the Australian team management was of the view that there was no ill-intent in Smith’s action.

Also Read: Jonny Bairstow Recalls Head Butt Memories after Perth Ton

Anil Kumble’s resignation: Former India captain Anil Kumble resigned from the prestigious head coach’s role of the Indian team four days prior to the West Indies citing that his relationship with skipper Virat Kohli was ‘untenable.’

Reportedly, India captain Kohli had told Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) officials that some players were uncomfortable with the “intimidating” style of Kumble’s man management.

It was also understood that Virat Kohli and Anil Kumble met the BCCI officials in separate meetings after the three-member Cricket Advisory Committee, comprising Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, and VVS Laxman, informed the BCCI that it had failed to resolve the impasse between Kohli and Kumble.

The inspirational leader was appointed the coach of the Indian cricket team in June 2016 and during his one-year term, Kohli-led India won five consecutive Test series from June 2016-March 2017.

Jonny Bairstow ‘Headbutt’ Incident: England’s wicket-keeper batsman Jonny Bairstow also got himself involved in a controversy after the Ashes series kick started for allegedly headbutting Australia’s young opener Cameron Bancroft at Perth.

According to reports, the incident between Bairstow and Bancroft took place outside The Avenue Hotel in Perth, when England was playing a warm-up game against Western Australia Cricket XI even before the commencement of the Ashes series.It is claimed that the incident went no further, and that police were not involved in the matter.

The ECB later confirmed it had asked Bairstow for an explanation. Bancroft also later said that Bairstow had given him a ‘friendly headbutt’ and both men played down the row.

Also Read: Piers Morgan’s Revelation Add New Twist To Ben Stoke’s Brawl in Bristol

Cricket Australia Pay Dispute: Australian national players and governing body, Cricket Australia (CA) got involved in a pay dispute which got stretched for nine months with both parties keeping their views publically.

The disagreement was Cricket Australia’s demand to revoke the decade-old payment structure under which the cricketers received a fixed percentage.

CA stated the model was outdated and claimed it was starving grass-roots cricket of funding, while the players’ union countered that it had helped the game’s growth and prosperity over the past 20 years.