10 Brashest cricketers - The flamboyant stars

10 Brashest cricketers – The flamboyant stars: Cricket’s of the current generation are far more hot-headed than the ones from the past. It might be called a gentleman’s game but there is no shortage of men who like to play on their terms. Such cricketers have never really featured as prominently in the gentleman’s game as much as any other sport. If you played cricket, you weren’t only groomed to play with a straight bat, but a set of values were inculcated into your daily regime for you to follow while on the field and off it. To play cricket was to be a part of the elite, of a culture which reflected integrity and discipline more than flamboyance and style. But today it is about far more than just shaking your opponent’s hand after losing, and here we have a look at players who do not shy away of being expressive but sometimes overdo it. Here are 10 Brashest cricketers – The flamboyant stars: 1. Kevin Pietersen: (Photo Source: Kevin Pietersen Facebook Handle) There are times when you come across people whom you just can’t take your eyes off. You can love Pietersen, you can hate him but you can’t ignore him. Pietersen is widely referred to in the media as having a self-assured personality, he might be brash but he is also breathtaking. He is one of the most exciting batsmen to ever play for England. The right hander has perhaps divided opinion like no other cricketer till date. His rather infamous “SMS saga” during South Africa’s 2012 tour of Australia has been well documented. Talking about English cricket brings us closer to words like culture and conventionalism but KP defies all that. Also Read – Top 15 Cricketers who set hairstyle trends 2. David Warner: (Photo Source: David Warner Facebook Handle) His brashness is something that is a rather Aussie trait. Walking into local bars you’d see people say the same stuff as Warner and their mates laughing about it. But Warner’s a public figure and much of our perception of him is because we have a false expectation of who and how he should be. The incident with Joe Root in the pub threatened his career prospects. Most would agree that he was rightly reprimanded by Cricket Australia for his behaviour but they would also concede that since coming back he has looked a much better Test player. Testimony to which was his 3 hundreds in Australia’s tour of South Africa in 2014. 3. Virat Kohli: (Photo Source: Virat Kohli Facebook Handle) One day he would score a fantastic match winning hundred and the other you would find him abusing a journalist for asking something he doesn’t particularly like. Virat Kohli is what he is. He is magnificent when it comes to on field skills. But his off field “episodes” would certainly make a book the bestseller. He believes in replying to a stone with a brick and is never shy of on field banter. Whether India wins or loses be ready to expect a few unmentionable words from him. That however doesn’t take anything away from his insane knocks. Kohli is already a modern great at the age of 26 when it comes to ODI cricket. 4. Sir Vivian Richards: Sir Viv Richards. (Photo Source: Getty Images) The very sight of this man gave nightmares to most of the bowlers that bowled against him. He always batted to win a battle and never cared for a helmet at a time when grassy pitches were a norm and the world cricket saw a tremendous number of pacers coming up the ranks. The thing that stands out about his hitting is the fact that it was always proper and clean. An average of over fifty in Test matches says a lot about his batting prowess. One could probably write books on his play, but the thing that stood out was the fact that he never changed his style of play and never compromised on his aggression. 5. Vinod Kambli: Vinod Kambli. (Photo Source: ESPNcricinfo Ltd) Vinod Kambli first came into limelight in February 1988, with a world record 664-run partnership with Sachin Tendulkar during the semi-final of the Harris Shield tournament, an inter-school competition in Mumbai. Because of the carefree attitude, he could not convert his potential into consistent performances. It was not for nothing that people said that Kambli was perhaps a better player than Sachin when he first came in. Kambli has also acted in two Hindi films, which is a proof of his colourful lifestyle. 6. Shahid Afridi: Shahid Afridi. (© Getty Images) Totally unorthodox and raw hitting at its best is what this Pathan brings to the table. Shahid Afridi has been perhaps the longest lasting hitter with a career spanning over 15 years. Making his mark with a record breaking 37 ball hundred, he was recognised as a batsman after that special innings. While bowling was his strength, he was made to open the innings at the beginning of his career to take advantage of field restriction in ODIs and attacking fields in Tests, but failed to make a major impact. 7. Chris Gayle: (Photo Source: Chirs Gayle Facebook Handle) The most ferocious hitter of this era, reminds everyone of Clive Lloyd owing to his build, stance and ferocity. When Gayle hits the ball hard, it does make an impact. The Jamaican is the first man to hit a T20I century and it is a format that suits him the best. Like all great hitters he too is plagued by inconsistency and happened to play for a West Indies side that struggled a lot. He is also a big time party animal and loves to enjoy to the hilt after a game. 8. Shane Warne: Shane Warne. (Photo Source: Getty Images) Warne, undoubtedly, was one of the best bowlers the game has ever seen. He had a sharp cricketing brain and was known for foxing batsmen more in the mind than off the pitch. He himself referred to his life as a ‘soap opera’. He, along with Mark Waugh, were fined in 1995 for unknowingly supplying information to an Indian bookmaker. He was stripped off his vice-captaincy in 2000 for sending messages to an English nurse whom he met at a nightclub. This was a huge blow to his captaincy ambitions. He also missed the 2003 World Cup because of testing positive for a banned substance on the eve of the tournament. 9. Andrew Symonds: Andrew Symonds. (Photo Source: Indian Premier League) Since mid-2008, he spent most of the time out of the team, due to disciplinary reasons, including alcohol. In June 2009 he was sent home from the 2009 World Twenty20, his third suspension, or exclusion from selection in the space of a year. His central contract was then withdrawn and many cricket analysts speculated that the Australian administrators would no longer tolerate him, and that Symonds’ might announce his retirement. On 16 February 2012, Symonds’ announced his retirement from all forms of cricket, in an attempt to concentrate on his family life. “Symo” as he is popularly referred to was also involved in the infamous, “Monkeygate” episode of 2008 during the Sydney Test. 10. Shoaib Akhtar: Shoaib akhtar. (© Getty Images) The ‘Rawalpindi Express’ Shoaib Akhtar, lived by the sword and often died by it. A maverick performer on the field, he was controversy’s favourite child off it. His life was a roller-coaster ride which hit highs and lows on a regular basis. However, when it came to bowling, and in the aspect of speed, there was no better sight than Akhtar. He was in the news for repeated altercations with his team mates. In 2006, he and Mohammad Asif were suspended by the PCB after they tested positive for taking Nandrolone. Akhtar was cleared on appeal but he was forced to miss the 2007 World Cup. He will always be remembered as the man who broke the 100 mile mark not once, but twice. Unfortunately, he will also be remembered as the man who liked to court controversy on a frequent basis. Also Read – 7 Bowlers with the weirdest bowling actions ever

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10 Brashest cricketers - The flamboyant stars

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