Cricketers have a huge following on social media. Virat Kohli for example has 100M followers on Instagram alone. The popularity which the cricketers enjoy on social media at times proves to be a double-edged sword. They get carried away by emotions on occasions and this leads them to trouble. Here we go Cricketers Were Punished in Social Media look here.
StumpsandBails brings to you 5 instances when cricketers were punished for their social media activity.
#5 Emily Smith
Emily Smith, the Hobart Hurricanes wicketkeeper had posted about how the Hurricanes team were all set to face Sydney Thunder on her personal Instagram account on Saturday, 2 November 2019. But the match was abandoned owing to the poor weather over there back then.
Cricket Australia’s Anti-Corruption Code prohibits revealing inside information where the “participant knew or might reasonably have known that such disclosure might lead to the information being used in relation to betting in relation to any match or event”. She was handed a 12-month ban that was later reduced to 2 months.
While some people felt her punishment was too harsh, others felt that it was rightly deserved. Sean Carroll, CA’s head of integrity and security, observed that the governing body acknowledged that there was no intent to breach the code but all players must be aware of their responsibilities.
#4 Darren Bravo
West Indies cricket board and their players have never shared a healthy relationship. They are often at loggerheads with each other. Darren Bravo was engaged in an ugly Twitter spat with WICB President Dave Cameron. The WICB president had criticised Bravo for his poor form and explained that was the reason why he ended up landing a Grade C contract. Bravo responded vehemently on Twitter stating, “You have been failing 4 d last 4yrs. Y don’t u resign and FYI I’ve neva been given an A contract. Big idiot @davec51”.
The board then informed Bravo that he had breached the terms of his match/tour contract and that he would be recalled from the tour. The Board gave Bravo a deadline to remove the offending tweet but he failed to do so. A subsequent WICB release stated that Bravo had been dropped “due to inappropriate and unacceptable behaviour which is contrary to his contractual obligations to the WICB”.
#3 Rory Burns
England opener, Rory Burns hasn’t had the best of the series touring India. He was dropped from the squad for the 3rd Test. England were steamrolled by India in under 2 days. This evoked a lot of reaction from fans and experts alike. England women spinner Alex Hartley stirred a nest when she tweeted saying, “Nice of the England boys to get this test match finished just before England Women play tonight.” This didn’t go down well with Burns and he responded saying, “Very disappointing attitude considering all the boys do to support the Women’s game.” The ECB then asked Burns to delete his tweet immediately.
#2 Kevin Pietersen
South African-born English cricketer, Kevin Pietersen was often in the eye of a storm during his playing days. Pietersen was dropped from England’s T20I squad just months after he helped them win the T20I World Cup in 2010. Kevin Pietersen immediately took to Twitter to rant his displeasure. He stated, “Done for the rest of summer!! Man of the World Cup T20 and dropped from the T20 side too.. Its [sic] a f*** up!!.” This didn’t go well with Geoff Miller, who was the national selector back then. Pietersen immediately deleted the tweet and owned up to this mistake.
Also Read | Dale Steyn Pens Down An Apology To Indian Fans For His Statements Over IPL
#1 Suryakumar Yadav
Suryakumar Yadav has had his fair share of run-ins with the board. Back in 2017, Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) senior selection committee picked a 14 member-squad for the inter-state one-day limited over league which took place in Chennai from February 25. The committee chaired by Milind Rege kept the 15th member’s slot vacant for the next 24 hours.
The reason behind the move was that the MCA had sent a notice to its star player Yadav seeking an explanation on a retweet. The Retweet stated: “You are dropped? Looks like Bombay selectors are unaware that you are the Vice Capt of IPL champion team KKR.”
This sarcastic tweet didn’t go well with the selectors. In a letter sent to the SuryakumarYadav, MCA had warned its batsman that if he is not able to give a satisfactory reply then MCA will take strict action against him.
