England's second-highest Test wicket-taker famous for refusing to walk after a huge edge in the 2013 Ashes, and for being hit for six sixes by Yuvraj Singh.
98 incidents documented
Pakistan vs India / ICC
February 2025
India's refusal to travel to Pakistan for the 2025 Champions Trophy forced the ICC to implement an unprecedented 'hybrid model' — with India's matches relocated to Dubai — generating fierce debate about the politicisation of cricket and the ICC's impartiality as a governing body.
Australia vs India
22-26 November 2024
The opening Test of the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Perth produced multiple contentious DRS decisions — with ball-tracking showing multiple 'umpire's call' moments that divided players and commentators about the technology's fitness for purpose.
Multiple Nations
June 2024
The T20 World Cup 2024 — hosted across the USA and Caribbean — was marked by umpiring controversies involving wide calls and no-ball decisions that drew criticism from multiple teams, amplified by the tournament's use of new venues in the United States where umpiring quality was questioned.
India vs South Africa
29 June 2024
After India won the T20 World Cup 2024 in Barbados, Rohit Sharma announced his T20I retirement during the on-field celebrations — only for Virat Kohli to simultaneously announce his own retirement — creating a bittersweet, overlapping comedy of farewells that left fans unsure which retirement to cry about first.
Afghanistan vs Pakistan
23 October 2023
A controversial short run call during the 2023 World Cup match between Afghanistan and Pakistan led to Afghan fans accusing the umpires of costing their team the match.
India vs Australia
19 November 2023
A detailed analysis of the most controversial moment in the 2023 World Cup Final — Rohit Sharma's dismissal for 47 off Pat Cummins via caught behind. UltraEdge showed a spike, but some post-match analysts argued it indicated surface vibration rather than bat-ball contact. The third umpire upheld the dismissal. India collapsed to 240; Australia chased it easily, winning the World Cup in front of 1.4 billion watching Indians.
England vs Australia
31 July 2023
Stuart Broad, in his final Test, cheekily counted down to Steve Smith's supposedly final Test innings, winding up the Australian.
Australia vs India
9 June 2023
Travis Head and Mohammed Siraj had a heated exchange during the WTC Final at The Oval, with aggressive celebrations and verbal jousting.
India vs Australia
15 November 2023
Mohammed Siraj's aggressive bowling and heated verbal exchanges with Travis Head defined the tense WC 2023 semi-final atmosphere as India and Australia clashed at Wankhede Stadium.
India Women vs Bangladesh Women
25 July 2023
India captain Harmanpreet Kaur kicked the stumps after being given out LBW, earning a match ban and widespread criticism for her on-field behaviour.
Australia Women
1 February 2023
Australian captain Meg Lanning took an indefinite break from cricket for undisclosed personal reasons, fuelling widespread speculation and raising questions about privacy in women's sport.
BCCI / Women's Premier League
February 2023
The inaugural Women's Premier League auction in 2023 produced eye-catching contracts for some players but raised sharp questions about the pay gap between the highest-paid WPL stars and the majority of players, and about whether the league genuinely elevated the financial standing of women's cricket globally.
Multiple Nations
2023
Multiple cases of Under-19 cricketers reporting burnout, mental health challenges, and premature dropout across several nations in 2022-23 prompted the ICC and multiple cricket boards to review the increasing demands placed on teenage cricketers in the franchise cricket era.
England Women vs India Women
24 September 2022
Deepti Sharma ran out Charlotte Dean at the non-striker's end for backing up too far, sparking a fierce global debate about the spirit of cricket versus the laws of the game.
India Women vs England Women
24 September 2022
Jhulan Goswami's farewell match at Lord's was overshadowed by the Mankad controversy, and many felt India's greatest fast bowler deserved a more befitting send-off.
England Women
May–August 2022
England Women's star Nat Sciver-Brunt took an extended break from cricket in 2022 to prioritise her mental health — a decision that sparked the most substantive conversation about player welfare and mental health in women's cricket, and prompted Cricket England to review its player support frameworks.
England U19
10 June 2022
Allegations of racism within the England youth cricket system emerged as part of the broader investigation into discrimination in English cricket triggered by Azeem Rafiq's testimony.
India U19 vs England U19
5 February 2022
India's Under-19 team defeated England in the 2022 U19 World Cup Final in Antigua, but their on-field celebrations — including aggressive gesturing directed at England players — prompted a brief controversy about sportsmanship at youth level that played out on social media for days.
India vs England
24-25 February 2021
Multiple controversial LBW decisions in the pink-ball Ahmedabad Test that finished inside two days, with questions about ball tracking accuracy on a turning pitch.
Sri Lanka
2 April 2021
Former Sri Lankan fast bowler Nuwan Zoysa was banned for six years by the ICC for match fixing and corruption offenses committed while working as a coach.
ECB / English Cricket
21 July 2021
The ECB's creation of 'The Hundred,' a 100-ball competition with new rules and city-based franchises, divided English cricket, with critics arguing it undermined the county system and was a solution to a problem that didn't exist.
South Africa Women
15 August 2021
South Africa women's cricketers raised allegations of racial discrimination in team selection and treatment, echoing similar issues in the men's setup.
ICC / Various Nations
1 January 2020
The ICC's proposal to reduce Test matches from five days to four sparked fierce opposition from players and purists who argued it would fundamentally alter cricket's oldest format.
Sri Lanka
15 March 2019
Sri Lankan legend Sanath Jayasuriya was charged by the ICC for failing to cooperate with an anti-corruption investigation and for destroying evidence.
India vs Various
2019-06-16
MS Dhoni's stump microphone picked up his constant instructions, tactical chatter, and hilarious commentary from behind the stumps, entertaining fans worldwide.
India (selection controversy)
16 April 2019
After being overlooked for the 2019 World Cup squad in favor of Vijay Shankar — whom selectors described as a '3-dimensional' player — Ambati Rayudu posted a sarcastic tweet about ordering '3D glasses' for watching the World Cup.
England Women
3 September 2019
England's wicketkeeper-batter Sarah Taylor was forced to retire at just 30 due to severe anxiety, raising important questions about mental health support in women's cricket.
Pakistan
1 November 2019
Pakistan fast bowler Naseem Shah's selection for Test cricket at a claimed age of 16 raised widespread questions about the accuracy of his birth records and age verification in Pakistani cricket.
Various
2018-12-30
Shane Warne's commentary career was filled with entertaining moments, from his obsessive pizza ordering to his often wildly wrong predictions and enthusiastic analysis.
Australia vs South Africa
24 March 2018
Cameron Bancroft was caught on camera using sandpaper to tamper with the ball during the Cape Town Test, leading to bans for Bancroft, captain Steve Smith, and vice-captain David Warner in the most damaging scandal in Australian cricket history.
Australia vs England
November-December 2017
Stuart Broad was again at the centre of a caught-behind controversy in the Ashes, this time in Australia, with DRS technology at the heart of the debate.
Pakistan / PSL franchises
15 February 2017
Pakistani fast bowler Mohammad Irfan was suspended during PSL 2017 for failing to report approaches from fixers during the tournament.
Various
1 January 2017
The 'Umpire's Call' element of DRS, where marginal LBW decisions are upheld even when ball-tracking shows the ball hitting the stumps, has been one of cricket's most divisive ongoing controversies.
India vs England
November 2016
The third umpire failed to check for a front-foot no-ball on a wicket-taking delivery, a standard protocol that was missed. The dismissal stood without the check being made.
South Africa vs Australia
19 November 2016
South African captain Faf du Plessis was found guilty of ball tampering for applying mint-laden saliva to the ball during the Hobart Test against Australia.
Melbourne Renegades vs Hobart Hurricanes
2016-01-04
Chris Gayle awkwardly flirted with reporter Mel McLaughlin during a live pitch-side interview, telling her 'don't blush baby.'
Bangladesh U19
28 December 2016
The Bangladesh U19 team bus was reportedly attacked by locals in Sri Lanka during a youth tour, injuring several young players and raising serious security concerns for touring youth teams.
South Africa vs New Zealand
24 March 2015
AB de Villiers was given out run out by the third umpire on a genuinely inconclusive decision. South Africa lost in heartbreaking fashion — Dale Steyn conceding the winning six to Grant Elliott off the final ball.
Rajasthan Royals
22 July 2015
Raj Kundra, co-owner of Rajasthan Royals and husband of Bollywood star Shilpa Shetty, was banned for life from cricket for his involvement in betting during IPL 2013.
India vs South Africa
25 November 2015
The Nagpur Test pitch for the 2015 India-South Africa series was rated 'poor' by the ICC after the match ended in under three days on a pitch that crumbled and turned square from day one.
England vs India
13 July 2014
James Anderson allegedly pushed Ravindra Jadeja in the players' corridor at Trent Bridge during the 2014 Test series, leading to ICC charges and hearings.
England vs India
2014-07-09
Stuart Broad's specific plan to exploit Virat Kohli's drive outside off stump during India's 2014 England tour — taking his wicket four times in the series through the same channel — contributed to Kohli's disastrous tour (134 runs at 13.4) and a rare period of sustained vulnerability for the world's future number-one batsman.
BPL franchises
1 February 2014
Former Pakistan all-rounder Azhar Mahmood reported a corruption approach during the Bangladesh Premier League, highlighting the vulnerability of T20 leagues to fixing.
Scottish cricket clubs
28 February 2014
Pakistani-born cricketer Naved Arif was found guilty of spot-fixing in Scottish domestic cricket, receiving a five-year ban from Cricket Scotland.
BCCI/ECB/CA vs Rest of Cricket World
2014-01-28
India, England, and Australia's 2014 seizure of disproportionate ICC revenue and governance power — formalising the 'Big Three' structure — was presented as a financial stability measure but created a governance model condemned by every other cricketing nation as deeply unfair.
England vs Australia
10-14 July 2013
Stuart Broad edged a ball clearly to slip but was given not out. He refused to walk, and Australia had no DRS reviews left.
Australia vs England (off-field)
13 June 2013
David Warner punched Joe Root in the face at a bar in Birmingham during the ICC Champions Trophy, leading to Warner's suspension.
Australia vs England
12 August 2013
Australian coach Darren Lehmann urged Australian fans to give Stuart Broad such a hard time during the return Ashes that he'd 'want to go home and cry.'
England vs Australia
12 July 2013
Stuart Broad stood his ground after a massive edge was caught at slip, refusing to walk. The umpire gave him not out, infuriating Australia.
Rajasthan Royals vs Various
16 May 2013
Three Rajasthan Royals players - S. Sreesanth, Ankeet Chavan, and Ajit Chandila - were arrested by Delhi Police for spot-fixing in IPL 2013, agreeing to concede a set number of runs in specific overs.
Chennai Super Kings
24 May 2013
Gurunath Meiyappan, the son-in-law of BCCI president N. Srinivasan and team principal of Chennai Super Kings, was arrested for betting on IPL matches.
South Africa vs Pakistan
15 October 2013
Faf du Plessis was caught on camera rubbing the ball against the zipper of his trouser pocket during a Test against Pakistan, constituting ball tampering.
England vs Australia
2013-07-10
Stuart Broad edged massively to slip but stood his ground and was given not out by the umpire, brazenly refusing to walk in one of the Ashes' most shameless moments.
India vs England
13 December 2012
Kevin Pietersen was given not out on a caught-behind appeal from India when replays and Hot Spot suggested an edge. India reviewed — DRS backed England, leaving the not-out standing under inconclusive evidence rules. Pietersen went on to score 186, one of his finest Test innings, and England won the match. India felt DRS inconsistencies had cost them a crucial wicket at a defining moment.
South Africa
13 June 2012
South African fast bowler Wayne Parnell admitted to meeting a bookmaker during the IPL but claimed he did not engage in any corrupt activity.
South Africa / IPL franchise
1 May 2012
South African batsman JP Duminy reported that he was approached by a suspected bookmaker during IPL 2012, and was praised for following proper reporting procedures.
Various / ICC Rules
1 October 2012
Frequent changes to PowerPlay and fielding restriction rules in ODIs have been controversial, with critics arguing constant tinkering has made the format confusing and excessively batting-friendly.
Australia U19
20 August 2012
Australia's U19 team was criticised for excessive sledging and aggressive behaviour during the 2012 U19 World Cup, raising concerns about the culture being instilled in youth cricket.
Australia vs India
24 March 2011
Shane Watson was given not out on a clear LBW off Zaheer Khan early in the 2011 WC quarter-final. He went on to score 25 but the early reprieve allowed Australia to build their innings. India successfully chased 260 to win by 5 wickets.
India vs Pakistan
30 March 2011
Yuvraj Singh survived a plumb LBW to Wahab Riaz when on around 20. Replays showed the ball hitting leg stump. No DRS. India won by 29 runs in the most watched cricket match in history. Pakistan's players complained bitterly about the umpiring.
Australia vs India
24 March 2011
Shane Watson was given not out LBW to Zaheer Khan early in Australia's innings when replays showed the ball hitting middle stump. No DRS existed. Watson scored 25 and Australia posted 260. India successfully chased but the error gifted Australia extra runs and made the chase far more difficult.
India vs Pakistan
2 March 2010
Gambhir and Afridi had multiple heated confrontations across several matches, including a famous shoulder bump during the Asia Cup 2010.
Australia vs Pakistan
2010-02-01
Shahid Afridi was caught on camera biting the cricket ball in an apparent ball-tampering attempt, leading to a ban and worldwide ridicule.
Australia vs England
2010-11-25
Peter Siddle took an Ashes hat-trick on his birthday, but the story that captured everyone's imagination was that the vegan fast bowler celebrated with bananas instead of beer.
England vs Australia
8 July 2009
Michael Clarke edged Flintoff to Prior in Australia's second innings but umpire Billy Doctrove gave it not out. Clarke's survival allowed Anderson and Panesar to famously bat out the final 69 balls for a draw.
Pakistan vs Sri Lanka
3 March 2009
Twelve armed gunmen attacked the Sri Lankan cricket team bus near Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, injuring six players and killing eight people, ending international cricket in Pakistan for nearly a decade.
Pakistan vs Various
3 March 2009
After the 2009 Lahore attack, Pakistan was forced to play its home matches in the UAE for nearly a decade, at enormous financial and emotional cost to the country's cricket.
Australia vs India
2-6 January 2008
One of the most controversial Tests ever — terrible umpiring decisions, racial abuse allegations, and India threatening to abandon the tour.
Australia vs South Africa
16 December 2008
Graeme Smith was given not out LBW by umpire Steve Davis in Perth when the ball was clearly hitting middle stump. Smith scored 108 and South Africa won the match and the series 2-1 — Australia's first home series defeat in 16 years.
Australia vs India
2008-03-27
Andrew Symonds flattened a streaker who ran onto the field during an ODI, shoulder-charging him with the force of a rugby player and sending him sprawling.
Multiple IPL Franchises
18 April 2008
The Indian Premier League, launched in 2008 by Lalit Modi, revolutionized cricket's commercial model with city-based franchise T20 cricket, creating enormous wealth but also concerns about corruption, player prioritization, and the future of international cricket.
India vs England
2007-09-19
Yuvraj Singh hit Stuart Broad for six consecutive sixes in a single over during the 2007 T20 World Cup, the fastest fifty in T20I history.
England vs India
2007-09-05
Just days after Yuvraj Singh's six sixes, Dimitri Mascarenhas hit five sixes off one Yuvraj Singh over in an ODI, in a delicious irony that cricket fans loved.
India vs England
2007-09-19
Yuvraj Singh hit Stuart Broad for six consecutive sixes in a single over at the 2007 T20 World Cup — the fastest T20 fifty ever at the time (12 balls), one of only a handful of times six sixes in an over have been hit in international cricket.
Pakistan vs India
21 January 2006
Shoaib Malik was given not out on a caught-behind during India's tour of Pakistan in 2006, with replays showing a clear inside edge to wicketkeeper MS Dhoni. Pakistan won the match and the series became a watershed moment in sub-continental cricket diplomacy.
Pakistan vs India
13 January 2006
Inzamam-ul-Haq was given not out LBW by home umpire Asad Rauf on a ball replays showed hitting middle stump. Inzamam scored 119 and Pakistan won the Test in the first bilateral series between the nations in years.
England vs Australia
4 August 2005
Andrew Flintoff survived at least one LBW appeal during his crucial second-innings 68 at Edgbaston — ball-tracking later suggested the ball was hitting the stumps, but the pre-DRS umpire gave it not out. Flintoff's innings powered England's total and set up a historic two-run victory that turned the 2005 Ashes.
England vs South Africa
26 July 2004
South Africa were accused of ball tampering during the third Test against England at The Oval in 2004, with the ball being replaced by umpires.
New Zealand vs South Africa
2004-03-12
New Zealand opener Mark Richardson celebrated his Test centuries with a pre-planned robotic dance routine that became one of cricket's most endearing traditions.
India vs England
1 March 2003
Sachin Tendulkar was given out LBW off a ball that appeared to be going well over the stumps, sparking outrage among Indian fans.
Australia vs India
23 March 2003
Ricky Ponting edged Zaheer Khan to Rahul Dravid early in the 2003 World Cup Final but umpire Rudi Koertzen gave it not out. Ponting went on to score 140* as Australia posted 359/2 and won by 125 runs.
Australia vs India
23 March 2003
Ricky Ponting edged Zaheer Khan to Rahul Dravid early in his innings but umpire Rudi Koertzen gave it not out. Ponting went on to score 140* as Australia posted 359/2 and won by 125 runs.
Australia vs Various
2 January 2003
Ricky Ponting was frequently involved in heated arguments with umpires throughout his career, often pointing his finger and showing visible dissent.
Various
2003-02-01
New Zealand umpire Billy Bowden became famous for his flamboyant, theatrical umpiring style including his signature 'crooked finger of doom' dismissal.
Zimbabwe
10 February 2003
Zimbabwe players Andy Flower and Henry Olonga wore black armbands during the 2003 World Cup to mourn 'the death of democracy' in Zimbabwe, in a courageous protest against Robert Mugabe's regime.
India vs Pakistan
2003-03-01
Sachin Tendulkar hit Shoaib Akhtar — the world's fastest bowler — for a six over third man off a 93mph delivery in the most politically charged ODI in history, setting up a 6-wicket Indian win watched by 300 million viewers.
India vs England
13 July 2002
Sourav Ganguly removed his shirt and waved it from the Lord's balcony after India's dramatic NatWest Trophy victory, in response to Andrew Flintoff's similar act in Mumbai.
Pakistan vs New Zealand
8 May 2002
New Zealand abandoned their tour of Pakistan in 2002 after a bomb blast outside their hotel in Karachi killed 14 people, marking one of the earliest security-related disruptions to international cricket.
ICC vs Bilateral Cricket Freedom
2001-01-01
The ICC's Future Tours Programme — a binding schedule mandating which nations tour which — was introduced to guarantee cricket's commercial coverage but became a straitjacket that prevented bilateral series flexibility, forced unwanted tours, and contributed directly to the Big Three governance crisis.
Pakistan vs Sri Lanka
15 June 2000
Waqar Younis was found guilty of ball tampering during an ODI against Sri Lanka after he was caught scratching the ball to generate reverse swing.
South Africa vs England
18 January 2000
Hansie Cronje engineered a contrived result at Centurion after rain had washed out most of the Test, later revealed to have been done at the behest of a bookmaker in exchange for a leather jacket and cash.
India
5 December 2000
Former India captain Mohammad Azharuddin was banned for life from cricket after a CBI investigation found he had been involved in match-fixing, ending the career of one of India's most stylish batsmen.
Australia
1989-05-01
David Boon allegedly consumed 52 cans of beer on the flight from Australia to England for the 1989 Ashes series, setting a legendary drinking record.
India vs Zimbabwe
1983-06-18
India were 17 for 5 against Zimbabwe in a 1983 World Cup group match. Kapil Dev, with no recognized batting partner, scored 175 not out off 138 balls — the highest ODI score at the time, a match-saving and match-winning innings that no broadcaster captured on film.
England vs Various
1982-07-01
Cricket crowds have produced some of the funniest sledges in sport, from heckling players about their personal lives to creative musical chants.
Multiple (WSC vs Establishment Cricket)
24 November 1977
Media mogul Kerry Packer signed 51 of the world's best cricketers to a rival competition after being denied TV broadcast rights, fundamentally transforming professional cricket.
South Africa vs Various (Cancelled Tours)
1 January 1971
India was among the first nations to sever cricketing ties with South Africa over apartheid, and the broader international boycott eventually led to South Africa's complete isolation from world cricket for 21 years.
Nottinghamshire vs Glamorgan
1968-08-31
Gary Sobers hit Malcolm Nash for six consecutive sixes in a single over at Swansea — the first time six sixes in an over had been achieved in first-class cricket, a feat since matched only by Ravi Shastri in 1985 and a handful of others.