Filed under: Cricket, England Cricket
Matt Prior's window-breaking escapade during the Second Test at Lord's is the latest in a line of controversies to have surrounded the England cricket team.FanHouse UK takes a look back at the top ten regrettable moments.
1. Andrew Flintoff and the pedalo:
Flintoff was sacked as England vice-captain and banned for a game during the World Cup in 2007 for breaching team discipline. The reprimand was a result of reports he had fallen off a pedalo and got into difficulties in the water in the early hours, shortly after England had lost a group game. Many of the reports contained suggestions that the Lancashire all-rounder had been drinking heavily.
2. David Gower's flying antics in Australia:
Gower was always a colourful character who liked to do things his own way, but he went a step too far during the 1991 Ashes Tour. He interrupted England's warm-up game against in Queensland when he decided to buzz the ground in a Tiger Moth, along with team mate John Morris after they had both been dismissed earlier in the day. Gower posed for photographs with the plane and was fined £1,000. It would have been more costly had he dropped the water bombs he had prepared.
3. Mike Gatting v Shakoor Rana
Pictures of Gatting jabbing his finger towards the Pakistan umpire captured the rage of the England captain during the second Test in Faisalabad in 1987. Gatting was furious at Shakoor for stopping play and accusing him of moving fielders behind the batsman's back. The exchange of swearing was captured by television microphones and six hours of play was lost until Gatting reluctantly apologised.
4. Jellybeans at Trent Bridge:
Schoolboy antics caused a major storm against India during their last tour of England. Zaheer Khan came out to bat to find jellybeans strewn on the wicket. When he swept the offending sweets away, more were thrown and Kevin Pietersen was accused by the Indian bowler. Pietersen claimed "you have got the wrong man." Zaheer was incensed and the identity of the sweet thrower was never revealed, although Ian Bell remains the prime suspect.
5. Mike Atherton dust in pocket
Controversy erupted when Atherton was caught on camera taking dirt out of his pocket and rubbing it on the ball against South Africa at Lord's in 1994. Atherton was forced to explain his actions to referee Peter Burge. Atherton claimed it was to dry his sweaty hands. Law 42.5 states that "No-one shall rub the ball on the ground, use any artificial substance, or take any other action to alter the condition of the ball". Atherton was fined £2,000.
6. Ian Botham v Imran Khan
Botham and Allan Lamb sued Khan in 1996 for libel over remarks attributed to the Pakistan all-rounder made in "India Today" two years earlier. Khan had allegedly claimed the England duo to be racists. He argued he had been misquoted in the article and was only trying to defend himself after admitting that he once tampered with a ball in a county match 18 years ago. Botham and Lamb refused to accept the apology and pressed ahead with their claim. The jury decided 10-2 in Khan's favour leaving Botham and Lamb to pick up estimated costs of £400,000.
7. Botham's misdemeanours:
Botham was suspended briefly in 1986 for smoking cannabis. His private life has also made occasional dramatic appearances in Britain's tabloid newspapers, with at least one extra-marital affair prompting a public apology to his wife Kathy. He was also arrested in Australia for assault.
8. Darren Gough's Sri Lanka row 2001:
Gough played hard throughout his career, but let himself and the England set-up down in the opening match of the tour against a Colts XI. Gough was accused of threatening two opposition players following his dismissal in the two-day game. Ill feelings remained after a meeting between the two sides in Australia two years earlier. On that occasion Sri Lanka's Roshan Mohanama barged into Gough as the England bowler attempted to prevent a quick single and he feigned a headbutt. That followed Alec Stewart labelling captain Arjuna Ranatunga "a disgrace" for leading his side off the field after Muttiah Muralitharan had been no-balled.
9. Prior and Windowgate:
After a century at Lords in the first innings against Sri Lanka in 2011, Prior was run out during the chase for quick runs in the second innings. On his return to the dressing room, his bat broke a window in the dressing room, showering the members pavillion below with glass. Prior and England captain Andrew Strauss were forced to apologise.
10. Pietersen's outspoken attack on Samit Patel:
Pietersen has been a controversial figure throughout his England career and cannot argue that he has not brought some of the attention on himself. His decision to lambast his former Nottinghamshire team mate Patel as "unfit, fat and lazy" was not the wisest decision he has ever made.
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