Ranking top 10 controversial cricketers

6. Andrew Symonds

The original bad boy of the Australian Cricket Team, Andrew Symonds has been the undisputed controversy king in the history of Australian cricket. His extraordinary ability to clear the biggest boundaries with ease was perfectly complemented by his rather controversial record off the field.

Symonds was sent home by the squad in August 2008 after skipping a team meeting to go fishing, a stunt no one has ever imagined, let alone pulled off. He was advised to reconsider his desire to play and was left out of the India tour squad. A year later, he was sent home from England in the middle of the ICC Twenty 20 World Cup owing to an alcohol-related incident, in what turned out to be his final appearance for the baggy greens as his contract with Cricket Australia was terminated.

His biggest controversy was during the infamous interview with comedians Roy & HG, in which he called Brendon McCullum a “lump of sh*t” and obliquely professed his infatuation with Matthew Hayden’s wife while drunk. CA eventually accused him of violating the code of conduct and declared him unfit for selection until he had fully recovered.