Most Controversial Moments in Cricket History?

[Kenneth Viljoen]

It is obviously match-fixing, be it in the early 2000s, or even the spot-fixing in 2010. That threatened the entire integrity of the sport.

Anything else pales in comparison and are just regular controversies during play.

Match Fixing was not controversial it is an illegal activity that everybody agrees is wrong, for something to be truly controversial there has to be a difference of opinion, example the Bairstow stumping , some say it's against the Spirit of the Game others say Bairstow got what he deserved it's out fair and square. Match Fixing was more a scandal than a controversy.

 

[Qlder]

Don Bradman getting a duck in his last innings. Should have been able to do a WG and put the bails back on

 

[Ali TT]

With a helpful contribution from Sporting Javed, who, having heard that Rana was happy for play to recommence, explained in no uncertain terms that this must not happen due to Pakistan's precarious position in the match.

The previous test in that series also deserves a mention due to the MOTM performance of umpire Shakeel Khan. Estimates of the number of Engish batters sawn off by this gentleman across the two innings generally reach two figures. I think that was the one when Chris Broad refused to go after being given out for whatever spurious reason Khan thought appropriate.

I'm not sure the Gatting-Rana affair is even the most controversial incident involving England and a Pakistani umpire. 30 years earlier an MCC touring team got so fed up with a local umpire, Idrees Baig, that they decided to kidnap him.

 

[AndrewB]

Not sure how far the list it would appear but 'the Rob Bailey incident' definitely deserves a place on said list, even if it's at #9 or something.

Misses the ball by miles, is emphatically given not out by an umpire who knows he's missed it.

Opposing captain, supprorted by a hostile crowd, then wanders over and essentially intimidates the umpire into giving Bailey out.

Rob never played for England again, unless I'm mistaken - despite being a consistent scorer in domestic cricket in the 90s.

Bailey played in the next Test (the last of the same series), but never again after that.
The big controversy about that came when Christopher Martin-Jenkins said "If that is gamesmanship or professionalism, I am not quite sure what cheating is", and the whole of Barbados was up in arms.

 

[The Sean]

Bailey played in the next Test (the last of the same series), but never again after that.
The big controversy about that came when Christopher Martin-Jenkins said "If that is gamesmanship or professionalism, I am not quite sure what cheating is", and the whole of Barbados was up in arms.

And then the umpire who Viv had intimidated/conned into the howler took legal action against CMJ - and won!

 

[AndrewB]

Another one from when I was a kid was the Hilditch handled ball, though that was as revenge for a Mankad in the same game as well.

Also Rodney Hogg was run out in the Bairstow fashion in the match before, was briefly recalled, then confirmed to be out, and responded by knocking two stumps out of the ground.

 

[AndrewB]

And then the umpire who Viv had intimidated/conned into the howler took legal action against CMJ - and won!

Settled out of court by the BBC I think.

 

[The Sean]

Settled out of court by the BBC I think.

I'd read that he lost the case and had to pay (undisclosed) compensation, but perhaps accounts differ.

 

[Burgey]

Thats why I'm leaning towards the Hansje Cronje scandal. The guy was literally SA's hero and was meant to be the leader of the new era of cricket but he threw it all away for more money in the bank

Yeah jeez that was a massive story wasn’t it.

 

[Fan of cricket]

Well I think the catch of Shubman gill in final innings of WTC final.

 

[Burgey]

I just read a story about Sylvester Clarke apparently getting the shits with the crowd in Pakistan throwing fruit at him during a test, so he picked up a boundary marker, which happened to be brick, and threw it at the spectators, hitting a kid in the head who had to be taken to hospital.

 

[subshakerz]

Match Fixing was not controversial it is an illegal activity that everybody agrees is wrong, for something to be truly controversial there has to be a difference of opinion, example the Bairstow stumping , some say it's against the Spirit of the Game others say Bairstow got what he deserved it's out fair and square. Match Fixing was more a scandal than a controversy.

Semantics.

The controversy was that many allegations were not fully proven but suspicions remained, which cast doubt whether the play on the field was real or not. Think Sydney 2009 or any time the result seems dodgy.

 

[Kenneth Viljoen]

Semantics.

The controversy was that many allegations were not fully proven but suspicions remained, which cast doubt whether the play on the field was real or not. Think Sydney 2009 or any time the result seems dodgy.

This is a completely different statement from your first post but okay , you seem to enjoy shifting goalposts .

 

[SteveNZ]

The whole Yorkshire/Azeem Rafiq thing would be up there. An absolute **** storm that is nowhere near being resolved or in fact anyone from either side feeling like anything near a just result was reached.

 

[Ali TT]

The whole Yorkshire/Azeem Rafiq thing would be up there. An absolute **** storm that is nowhere near being resolved or in fact anyone from either side feeling like anything near a just result was reached.

There's not even just two sides - there's the current management of the club, the old management, former players inc Yawn Vaughan, the ECB covering its backs, MPs and Rafiq.

 

[Ali TT]

I just read a story about Sylvester Clarke apparently getting the ****s with the crowd in Pakistan throwing fruit at him during a test, so he picked up a boundary marker, which happened to be brick, and threw it at the spectators, hitting a kid in the head who had to be taken to hospital.

Did you read it two pages higher up in this thread?

Basil D'Oliveira being not picked and then picked for the 1968/9 tour of South Africa must surely top the lot. It lead to the eventual banning of South Africa from cricket and slow erosion of the authority of apartheid. So controversial in a good way (eventually, the MCC hardly covered themselves in glory).

As for things happening on the pitch, while under arm bowling and sandpaper gate were all notable, I'd go for Sylvester Clarke being pelted by objects on the boundary then retaliating by chucking a brick and hospitalising a spectator.

 

[Burgey]

Did you read it two pages higher up in this thread?

Plainly not. But I’m a good judge of whose posts to gloss over tbf

 

[Ali TT]

Plainly not. But I’m a good judge of whose posts to gloss over tbf

Don't beat yourself up. Even the best judges will make mistakes from time to time.

 

[Adorable Asshole]

I just read a story about Sylvester Clarke apparently getting the ****s with the crowd in Pakistan throwing fruit at him during a test, so he picked up a boundary marker, which happened to be brick, and threw it at the spectators, hitting a kid in the head who had to be taken to hospital.

Not just fruits but also small stones. But yeah it was an unfortunate incident that should have never happened.

 

[tony p]

Same match as the " Underarm" delivery, but earlier in the match.