As Tim Paine, the Australian test captain resigns, as a consequence of the four-year-old sexting incident, it’s time to throw a look at the list of controversies
From the underarm delivery in 1981 against Newzealand in Melbourne to the bookie’s scandal in 1998 and the highly controversial ‘sandappergate’ case in 2018, the list contains some arguable events. Check out some of the controversies that have hit the Australian cricket for years.
2018 Sandpaper Gate Scandal
In the Australian tour of South Africa in, 2018 the Sandpapergate incident initiated a massive arguable incident that’s even talked about nowadays. A camera caught the Australian batsman Cameron Bancroft handling the ball in the third test match.
He got suspended for nine months for intending to rough up the ball’s one side with sandpaper. Steven Smith was forced to resign from leadership. David Warner, playing a crucial part in the incident, as per investigation, was suspended from all forms of cricket for 12 months alongside Steve Smith.
The 1990’s Bookie Scandal
In the late ’90s, Shane Warne and Mark Waugh were fined. Reportedly, they received money from an Indian agent, John ‘the bookmaker’, in exchange for information about the pitch and weather.
2003- The Year of Controversies
The star leg spinner was suspended for 12 months after he tested positive for banned diuretic drugs. He said he took a diet tablet provided by his mother. After the ban he even talked about his unwillingness to take any drug ever for enhancing performance and neither did he take it earlier.
The same year, Lehman was banned for five matches, after he passed a racist comment to the Sri Lankan team.
1981- The Underarm Delivery
In 1981, the baggy greens were playing a match against the Black Caps in the MCG. The Australian captain Greg Chappell instructed Trevor to bowl underarm to the opponent batsman Brian McKechnie, to limit him from hitting a match-winning six. This incident still tops the list of scandals hitting Australian cricket so far.
Tim Paine’s sudden decision to step down as the captain, adds another number to the list.
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