When these Cricketers had a brush with the law

In a span of just two months, Ravindra Jadeja has been at the centre of two avoidable controversies, where he ended up violating the law. However, he isn’t the only cricketer who has hit headlines for a brush with the law. Over the years, some of cricket’s biggest names have landed in minor as well as major troubles, for violating laws of the game or for their conduct outside the cricket field.Here’s taking a look:

Ravindra Jadeja: June 2016:- In April, celebratory gunshots were fired in the air just a few feet away from Ravindra Jadeja during his wedding reception. The cops arrived at the venue for enquiries, since it is illegal to use even licensed firearms except in cases of self-defence. More recently, the cricketer and his wife got down from their vehicle in Gir forest and posed for selfies with lions at the background. Gir is a protected forest and so, tourists can’t get down from their vehicles.

Ben Strokes: June 2016:- The star England all-rounder recently appeared in court and pleaded guilty to speeding on four occasions, including twice on the same day. He has been warned that he faces jail if he is caught driving again till mid-December.

MS Dhoni: April 2015:- India’s ‘captain cool’ was fined `500 by the Ranchi traffic police for violation of traffic rules, as Dhoni’s bike did not have its registration number displayed horizontally in the front. It was a violation of the Motor Vehicle Act.

Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif, Mohammad Amir and S Sreesanth:- In 2011, Pakistan’s cricket fans were shocked when three of their star cricketers- Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir, were found guilty of spot-fixing (bowling deliberate no-balls) and were handed prison sentences. In 2013, Indian cricketers S Sreesanth, Ajit Chandila and Ankeet Chavan were arrested on charges of spot-fixing.

Wasim Akram, Ian Botham, Abdul Qadir, Roy Gilchrist:- In 1993, on his first tour to the West Indies as Pakistan captain, Wasim Akram, along with teammates Waqar Younis, Aaqib Javed and Mushtaq Ahmed, was arrested on charges of possession of marijuana. This created a diplomatic row and things eventually settled down. In 1988, Botham, who was playing for Queensland, was arrested by Perth police after an incident on a domestic flight. Botham had asked a fellow passenger to mind his own business, who had objected to the kind of language that the players were using. In 1987-88, Qadir, already frustrated after his appeal against a West Indian batsman wasn’t upheld, went to the stands and punched a fan. He was questioned by the police and the team management paid a hefty fine for an out-of-court settlement. Roy Gilchrist, one of the most feared pace bowlers of his era, was sentenced to three months’ probation in 1967 after he pushed his wife against a wall and branded her face with a hot iron.

Herschelle Gibbs: Warne tested positive for a banned drug just hours before Australia’s first World Cup match in 2003, leading to a one-year ban. Gibbs, found smoking marijuana during post-match celebrations in 2001, got away with a fine.