While 2017 brought many happy moments, ‘controversy’ too hogged the limelight and set some sad examples for the game’s lovers and followers. With the year 2017 coming to an end, Team Circle of Cricket jots down the top controversies that took place in the same year.
1) Kohli- Kumble's Rift
When the legend leg-spinner Anil Kumble was appointed as the Head Coach of team India on 24th June 2016 that took the nation to win 12 test matches out of 17 matches with Captain Kohli, the crack between duo started when India lost to Pakistan miserably in Champions Trophy. The CAC questioned Kumble after Virat Kohli expressed his feeling after noticing the method and thus Anil Kumble had to resign from his post on 21st June 2017 while mentioning his fallout with Virat Kohli.
2) Ben Stokes Bristol Police Investigation
On September 25 the 26-year-old test Vice Captain of England, Ben Stokes was arrested in Bristol after an accident for causing actual bodily harm. Although the latter was released after but still, he is under investigation because all of this the player had to miss his Ashes ticket and currently playing domestic cricket in New Zealand. We hope next year would be a good one for the all-rounder with peace and as lots of cricket is waiting for him next year.
3) Ben Duckett's beer pouring incident with Jimmy Anderson in Perth
This controversy happened in Perth when Ben Duckett pours beer over Jimmy Anderson. Duckett’s decision to tip his drink over Anderson – said to be a case of high jinks and quickly snuffed out by the team’s security staff present – took place in the same Avenue bar in Claremont as Bairstow’s error of judgment, coming in the early hours of Friday morning, the first night that the squad’s midnight curfew was relaxed. He then was not allowed to take part in Ashes for England's squad and hence was suspended.
4) Smith DRS fadeout VS Virat Kohli
Since ages, Indian and Australian skippers are said to be aggressive on and off the field. In the second test match Border- Gavaskar in Bengaluru India won the match by a huge margin of 187 runs when during the game Steven Smith was LBW to Umesh Yadav's delivery then looked back at the dressing-room for consultation on reviewing his dismissal. In context to this Virat was unhappy and termed Smith as a cheater but was separated by the umpires on the field at that moment.
5) Delhi's Poor Environment left its carnage on Cricket
The third test match between India and Sri Lanka in New Delhi that took place on 2nd December, Due to over pollution the visiting team was seen wearing anti-pollution to prevent pollution. This did not end here when Dinesh Chandimal was batting on 164 he felt uneasiness and moreover Nic Pothas had claimed that the skipper was seen vomiting in the dressing room. The Delhi test had become the most talked controversy of the year.
So these were the top 5 controversies of the year 2017 according to Circle of Cricket. With few days to go for 2018, we expect cricket not controversies to hogg the limelight in the new year and keep the sportsman spirit in the gentleman's game alive.
