2023 was all about enthralling cricket matches, mind-blowing performances on the field, assorted moments to cherish and some results that broke a million hearts. Amid all the excitement, several on-field controversies sparked endless debates and drew massive reactions from the fans as well.
With 2023 drawing to a close, let’s look back and recall all those controversies that created huge commotion among fans and on social media.
Controversies in 2023
Jadeja’s ointment in Border-Gavaskar Trophy
Ravindra Jadeja made a comeback during the Australia Test series earlier this year after a long injury layoff. Though his comeback was inspirational, one of his acts divided opinions. The incident happened in the Nagpur Test when the allrounder was seen applying a cream on the index finger of his bowling hand. The team management later said that the cream was for medical purposes but it wasn’t conveyed to the to the on-field umpires.
The match referee found him in breach of Article 2.20 of the ICC Code of Conduct and was docked 25% of his match fee in addition to a demerit point.
Also Read: CN’s T20I Team of 2023 Led by Suryakumar Yadav
Kohli vs Naveen, Ft. Gambhir
The last leg of the IPL saw one of the epic on-field clashes of the year. Virat Kohli had reportedly sledged Naveen-ul-Haq during the LSG vs RCB match in Lucknow, leaving the Afghan bowler fuming. RCB won the game but Naveen wasn’t over his anger as he vented it out by pushing away Kohli’s hand during the post-match customary hand-shake. The matter escalated with Gautam Gambhir getting involved in an animated exchange with Kohli with members of both teams trying to separate them. All three individuals were heavily fined by the IPL Governing Council in the aftermath of the incident.
The Bairstow Run-out/stumping
England’s loss in the Ashes Test at Lord’s wasn’t a huge topic of discussion as it was overshadowed by a chain of events, sparking a serious debate over the ‘spirit of the game’. The drama unfolded after Jonny Bairstow ducked to leave a short ball from Cameron Green and instantly left his crease. Meanwhile, Alex Carey had held the ball in his gloves and as Bairstow started moving towards Ben Stokes at the non-striker’s end, the Aussie wicktkeeper hit the stumps as Australia appealed for a wicket.
Bairstow was absolutely confused over the incident whereas the third umpire ruled him out straightaway after going through the TV replay.
As the teams made their way back to the dressing room after the incident, several fans in the Long Room hurled abuses and clashed with the Australian players. Later, the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), the custodian of the cricket laws, took strict action against the three people hurling abuses and handed them lifetime suspensions.
Harmanpreet’s Suspension
Indian women’s team skipper Harmanpreet Kaur was slapped with a suspension of two international matches for two separate breaches of the ICC Code of Conduct during the final ODI of a series between India and Bangladesh. She expressed her dissent on being given LBW by smashing the stumps with her bat and called the umpiring “pathetic” in the post-match presentation. She also sarcastically asked the umpires to be called to join the teams for the trophy ceremony.
She was back in action after missing out back-to-back matches in the Asian Games but returned home with the first-ever Asiad gold medal.
The Ball-change controversy in The Ashes
The fifth and final Ashes Test saw a fresh controversy over the ball. After the ball clattered the helmet of Australia opener Usman Khawaja on the fourth day, the umpire deemed the ball was out of shape and called for a replacement before England won the fifth Test of Ashes 2023 with the series ending in a 2-2 draw.
However, the next ball that was taken looked newer compared to the previous one which changed the course of the match and led to Australia being bowled out for 334 runs. As ball-tracking data during the broadcast suggested the ball had more significant movement post-ball change on day five at The Oval than on day four, the Aussie cricket fraternity was left fuming over the decision.
Rizwan offering Namaz on the field
Mohammad Rizwan, the Pakistan wicketkeeper-batter, caught the attention of many by offering Namaz on the cricket field during their World Cup campaign opener against The Netherlands in Hyderabad. The 31-year-old contributed significantly to Pakistan’s win with a 68-run knock but his act of offering prayers during a live game of cricket became one of the biggest talking points right at the beginning of the tournament.
Mathews timed-out
The World Cup 2023 in India saw one of the most bizarre dismissals in the history of the game. In the group-stage game between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh in New Delhi, Angelo Mathews became the first-ever batter given out ‘timed-out’ in international cricket. The former Sri Lanka captain had his helmet strap broken and asked for a replacement right before facing the first ball. As it took him more than the regulated time, Bangladesh skipper Shakib Al Hasan to appeal for his dismissal. Eventually, Matthews was given the marching orders.
Though Mathews settled the score by dismissing the Bangladesh skipper in the second innings, Shakib & Co., registered their second win in the tournament.
After the game, Shakib justified it as an ‘unlucky’ incident which was well within the rules while Mathews went on to provide video evidence to prove his point.
Warner vs Johnson
Ahead of the final Test series of his career, David Warner received serious criticism from former teammate Mitchell Johnson. In an explosive column for The West Australian, the former left-arm quick lashed out at the decision to give Warner the liberty to choose his farewell series. A few days later, Warner issued a low-key reply, stating that Johnson voiced his opinion and that the batter himself couldn’t do much into it. But the left-hander did clear his ex-teammate’s doubts with a hundred in the opening Test against Pakistan.
Khawaja’s Act of Support
Usman Khawaja has been fighting a battle with the International Cricket Council (ICC) with regards to expressing his solidarity with the victims of Gaza conflict. Ahead of the first Test in Perth, he was spotted wearing footwear with the slogans “Freedom is a human right” and “All lives are equal” at the team’s training session. But he dropped the plan to wear them in the game, abiding by the ICC regulations. Instead he donned a black armband.
However, the 36-year-old was reprimanded by the governing body for sporting the black armband. The ICC further prevented him from putting a peace symbol on his bat in the Boxing Day Test at the MCG.
Khawaja, in a video shared on Instagram, said he would continue to fight and seek approval to express his views.
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