10 Popular Cricketers Who Were Involved In Sex Scandals

The Gentleman’s game is a myth – there are very few left of that kin. The game gives the players all money, fame, power, which has been at times misused to satisfy one’s immoral, and illegal, pleasures. Sex Scandals? Yes, that too.

While cricketers remain attentive and careful to the scrupulous eye of the media, several in the previous eras unashamedly indulged themselves with women other than their partner; some do it in the current era as well.

10 Popular Cricketers Who Were Involved In Sex Scandals:

Shane Warne

Shane Warne was the king of spin, retiring with 708 Test wickets to his name – the second-most after Sri Lanka’s Muttiah Muralitharan.

Off the field, however, the Aussie legend was also the king of sex scandals and has been involved in plenty of immoral conducts: he harassed a British nurse named Donna Wright; had carnal relations with a couple of models ahead of a County Championship game in 2006; caught enjoying his time with a Melbourne stripper; multiple extramarital affairs; kissing his then-girlfriend Elizabeth Hurley openly in the stadium during 2011 IPL match, which would be his most understated physical contact with a woman.

“Shane blew our minds,” claimed one of the two young models. I’d give him top marks for more than satisfying us.” A World Cup winner, Shane Warne in the true sense, had it all.

Chris Gayle

If any cricketer comes close to challenging Warne for the sex scandals numbers and its magnitude, it is none other than the Universe Boss, Chris Gayle. The Jamaican, regarded as one of the most destructive batters and arguably the greatest T20 batsman, lives his life lavishly, and he does it with plenty of female presence around him.

The burly Jamaican was found “socialising” with three British women in his Sri Lankan hotel room during the ICC World T20 2012. A few years ago he was suspended from the BBL when he asked out an Australian TV presenter Mel McLaughlin for drinks during a live interview; his  “Don’t blush, baby” comment received severe criticism.

In another interview with journalist Charlotte Edwardes, he bragged about his “very, very big bat”. A glance through his social media images would tell you Gayle is quite a ladies’ man – in pretty licentious manners.

Kevin Pietersen

As talented a player on the field, Kevin Pietersen had his share of scandals off the field as well. A quite un-Englishman style of Pietersen was observed with the bat in his hand, however, he was the same without his cricketing gear too.

He had a short but publically well-known stint with Playboy model Vanessa Nimmo. Angry and looking for vengeance after Pietersen reportedly dumped her by an SMS, Nimmo chastised him revealing their intimate secrets. “Kevin was desperate for sex and kept pestering me all day. I certainly wasn’t hit for six by his performance,” Nimmo had claimed after the breakup.

Herschelle Gibbs

Herschelle Gibbs opened a few secrets in his autobiography ‘To The Point’ which revealed the scandalous side of the South African opener.

Gibbs wrote: “I just knew I was going to get a century. Perhaps the girl lying in bed beside me had inspired me. She worked at the hotel, where I had befriended her.”

Another one, which involved another cricketer “Two beds, two cricketers and three women. One of them wasn’t all that keen, though; she just lay on the bed. Which was fine – there was enough for everyone. The other two girls, however, more than made a go of it.”

Shahid Afridi

Superstar Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi was a beloved figure. Well, turns out, Afridi wasn’t too good at handling some extra love from his female fans. Apart from his controversies with cricketers, coaches, boards, there were a few involving the opposite gender as well.

In 2000, Afridi, Atiq-uz-Zaman, and Hasan Raza were caught entertaining a group of young women in their Karachi hotel rooms. The players said that the girls had merely “come to collect autographs.” But the PCB didn’t take their word and fined and banned all three of them from the ICC Champions Trophy in Kenya.

Mohammed Shami

A few years ago, India pacer Mohammed Shami landed in trouble when his own wife, Hasin Jahan, filed allegations against him – not proven true yet – of having extra-marital affairs. She also released images of Shami with other females and their chats – which the speedster has strictly denied owing.While Shami continues to represent India, the case between him and his wife is lodged with the Kolkata Police.

Imam-ul-Haq

A couple of years ago, Pakistan opener Imam-ul-Haq found himself in deep waters after a series of obscene chats and images were leaked on social media; he was alleged of having multiple affairs and cheating on his girlfriends.

The account which released the images was later deleted but not before it claimed that the left-hander had been harassing women.

Scott Kuggeleijn

Scott Kuggeleijn’s selection for New Zealand and later for the Chennai Super Kings was met with criticism for the Black Caps board and the IPL franchise as the pacer has been accused of raping a woman in a Hamilton in 2015. The case went to trial in 2016 where there was a hung jury, and again in 2017, when the jury declared him not guilty.

However, some of his comments invoked hate from fans. Kuggeleijn told the court that the woman was “provocatively dressed” and “looking for male attention” when they met at the bar.

Sir Ian Botham

Botham had had multiple affairs: one with an Australian waitress; another with former Miss Barbados, Lindy Field in the 1980s which astonished the cricketing world.

Mike Gatting

Another legendary England player Mike Gatting was targeted for his lecherous involvement with a barmaid, Louise Shipman, in his hotel room during the first Test against West Indies at Trent Bridge. Though the batsman denied the accusations, the English board dismissed him.

Also Read: Sachin Tendulkar Reveals Two Regrets From His International Career