5 cricketers who came back strongly after being banned

It might have been described as “The Gentleman’s Game’ for years now, but cricket has seen a lot of controversies in the past few decades. From ball tampering to match-fixing and from drug usage to throwing, the game’s clean image has taken a nasty hit.Recently, Mohammad Amir, whose young career took a turn for the worse in 2010, made a solid comeback in the domestic circuit and clawed his way back into the Pakistani team after five long years. Here’s a look at five cricketers who came back strongly after being banned:

#1 Ian Botham

The ECB banned Botham for 63 days.

The large-hearted poster boy of English cricket was never far from controversies throughout his colorful career for The Poms.

After a tumultuous tour of the Caribbean in 1986, the tabloids were running amok with stories about his off-field antics. Out of the blue, there came a report in the Mail On Sunday, where Botham was quoted to be admitting the use of cannabis, after his previous claims of denial. 

This resulted in a series of attacks by the media, questioning his morality and demanding a life ban. Amid a flurry of reactions, the ECB banned Botham for 63 days, ending his participation in the series against India.

He came back in inimitable style, taking wickets of his first and twelfth delivery, also going past Dennis Lillee’s world Test wickets record. The very next month, he capped off the year in style, taking a five-wicket haul against Australia in the Boxing Day Test.