5 times active players publicly criticized their cricket boards
As per latest reports, Zimbabwe Cricket Board is not too pleased with one of its players Ryan Burl. A few days back, the 27-year-old put out a tweet in which he was seen gluing his shoes and asking for a sponsor.
While Puma has come forward to aid him and the team, Burl may have landed himself in trouble. According to a tweet by journalist Adam Theo, the Zimbabwe Cricket Board may take some disciplinary action against the player over seeking help on social media. Theo tweeted:
“I’m told that certain members high up in Zimbabwe Cricket are angry at Ryan Burl’s plea for sponsorship help as it “reflects bad on the organisation. I’m also told that the same members want disciplinary action to be enforced. This would be a terrible move by Zim Cricket.”
When players took on cricket boards
Burl is not the first player to take a dig at his cricket board and certainly won’t be the last. In the wake of the latest incident, we look at some past cases when players took on their cricket boards.
#1 Mohinder Amarnath calls selectors a bunch of jokers
Despite being India’s standout hero in the 1983 World Cup triumph, Mohinder Amarnath never shared a cordial relationship with the Indian cricket board. He often felt aggrieved as BCCI selectors kept dropping and recalling him.
In 1989, after he was again dropped from the Indian team despite being performing well, he lashed out at the selectors in no uncertain terms and famously referred to them as a “bunch of jokers”. Not surprisingly, Amarnath did not play any match for India after 1989.
Two decades later, in an interview with Mid-Day, the former cricketer stated that he did not regret making the comment. He said:
“No, I don't (regret it). Whatever I said was the truth and truth always hurts. When you speak the truth, you have to be prepared to accept ire. It didn't bother me at all. I thought then things were wrong and I just freed my mind. I was getting a raw deal on a number of occasions. I had kept mum, but then came a boiling point.”
In a career spanning 20 years, Amarnath ended up playing only 69 Tests and 85 ODIs. Ironically, he would go on to become a selector himself!
#2 Dwayne Bravo-led West Indies pull out of India tour over pay dispute
In 2014, West Indies pulled out of the India tour, having featured in the fourth ODI of the five-match series. A one-off T20I and three Test matches were also to be played, but things hit a nadir between the players and the West Indies cricket board.
There was an ongoing tussle between West Indies players and the West Indies Players Association (WIPA) over payments. Then West Indies captain Dwayne Bravo had written to the West Indies Cricket Board, asking them not to negotiate with WIPA.
However, the request was rejected by the cricket board. Wavell Hinds, then WIPA president and CEO, was accused of keeping the players in the dark over an MoU signed by WIPA and WICB.
West Indies’ pullout in 2014 stunned BCCI and the cricket world in general. Following his retirement from international cricket, Bravo opened up on the controversy and blamed Hinds.
According to him, Hinds had not communicated details of the new contracts to the players, who claimed that the new agreement brought down their match fees by almost 75 per cent.
3. PCB snub shocks Kamran Akmal
Pakistani players are known for their run-ins with the national cricket board. In 2016, former wicketkeeper batsman Kamran Akmal openly questioned the PCB selectors after he was overlooked for a five-match ODI series against Australia, despite being in good form with the bat.
Voicing his disappointment over the snub, Akmal had told The Express Tribune:
“It’s very shocking for me to not see my name in the team. I was confident of my selection after the PCB took my passport to register for an Australian visa and I am very disheartened over the snub. A player can only perform to force his way into the team again. I have performed in all formats of the domestic season and my form is for everyone to see. I want to ask the selection committee and team management what else I need to do to return to the national team?”
Akmal last played an international match for Pakistan back in 2017. He has taken a few more digs at the PCB since. In 2020, a frustrated Akmal questioned:
"Should I go and perform in India or Australia to be considered?"
4. Kevin Pietersen lashes out after Ashes omission
Former England captain Kevin Pietersen was an exceptional batsman without a doubt. However, his career was marred to an extent due to his troubled relations with fellow players and the cricket board.
Pietersen was told before the 2015 Ashes that he had no future with the national side. As he saw England's batting crumble against Australia in the second Test, he took to Twitter and questioned his omission for the big series. He wrote:
“Batting as well as ever & the team have huge issues with top order! What a waste, just lying on a beach! I wish I could help!”
He added in another tweet:
“Deep in thought right now...ridiculous that I'm lying on a beach when I should be in UK prepping for the 3rd Test! So silly really! Sad!”
Pietersen’s last match for England was the 2014 New Year Test in Sydney. He registered scores of 3 and 6 as the Aussies drubbed England 5-0.
5. Sri Lankan players refuse to sign contentious new contract
The latest player-cricket board dispute has been rocking Sri Lanka cricket. As many as 24 players have refused to sign new contracts as per which players’ base salaries have been reduced, while performance-based incentives have been introduced.
The Lankan cricket board, on the other hand, has given a June 3 deadline for the protesting players to sign on the dotted line. Failure to comply with the deadline would force the SLC to put players on tour contracts (specific contracts for each tour).
The major issue, Sri Lankan players claim, is that they have not been given details of their assessment, on the basis of which the grading was done. A few days ago, the 24 protesting players released a statement through Nishan Sydney Premathiratne, Attorney-at-Law, refusing to sign the contracts. The statement read:
“…None of the players have been provided with their individual assessment sheets setting out how points were awarded under the criteria of performance, fitness, leadership and professionalism.”
“The players are NOT in agreement to sign unfair and non-transparent contracts and urge SLC to not hold the players at gunpoint or give the players such ultimatums,” the statement added.
We have not heard the last of this controversy yet.