With the most anticipated movie of the year, ‘MS Dhoni-The untold story’ set to hit the theatres at the end of this month, all the followers of Dhoni are eagerly waiting for the movie to release as it will reveal some interesting facts about the flamboyant Jharkhand lad. From being a ticket collector at Kharagpur in 2001 to becoming the T20 World Cup winning captain in 2007, Dhoni’s life has been a fairytale.
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Hard work, dedication, and luck were pivotal in making him one of the most successful captains in the world. And though he has been criticized by many in the recent past, Dhoni continues to be the heartthrob of India and his achievements will be etched in golden letters even several years after his retirement.
A biopic on a cricketer reveals different aspects of his life and all the lesser known facts that you might not have known otherwise.
With the amount of buzz going around in the nation for the release of MS Dhoni’s movie, we bring you some extraordinary cricketers who would have been exceptional biopic materials.
#10 Kevin Pietersen (England)
Born in South Africa, the flamboyant English batsman made his first-class debut for Natal in 1997 before moving to England in 2000. Pietersen was eligible for selection in the England national team only after serving a four-year qualifying period in the English county. He was immediately called up by England after he completed four years and eventually made his ODI debut against Zimbabwe in 2004.
He made a breathtaking Test debut against Australia in 2005 and literally smashed the great Shane Warne all around the park. He took the bowlers by the scruff of the neck and was instrumental in England regaining the Ashes after several years. In the following years, he continued to be the mainstay of England batting line-up scoring runs against every opponent at a healthy average.
In 2012 there was a fallout between Pietersen and his teammates after reports revealed that he had allegedly sent text messages to South African players during their tour making derogatory comments, especially about the then England captain Andrew Strauss. Pietersen was subsequently dropped from the 3rd Test and regained his place only after Strauss retired from international cricket.
He scored a brilliant century against India in 2013 on a spin friendly track that laid the foundation for a 2-1 series win for England. Despite his knock the rift between Pietersen and the board continued and he was eventually dropped from the team.
Despite having a controversial career, Pietersen will stand among one of the greatest batsmen that England has produced.
#9 Hansie Cronje (South Africa)
Cronje was one of the most influential figures in South African cricket and a great leader. He led his troops very well throughout his career but his involvement in the match-fixing scandal during the twilight of his career shocked the entire cricketing fraternity. In 2000, Cronje revealed that he had connections with an Indian bookie who was introduced to him by the then Indian captain Mohammed Azharuddin.
After his sudden revelation, Cronje was banned for life along with other Indian stars. The man who led South Africa in the historic 1999 World Cup died in 2002 after a terrible plane crash.
An all-rounder of the highest calibre, Cronje was a very good batsman in the lower middle-order scoring 3,714 runs in Tests and 5,565 runs in ODIs. Besides his batting skills, Cronje was a good medium pacer and dismissed the great Sachin Tendulkar on a number of occasions. Tendulkar himself revealed that Cronje was one bowler who he found very hard to pick.
#8 Virender Sehwag (India)
The “Nawab of Najafgarh” continues to entertain people even after his retirement, this time via social networking site Twitter. The dashing opener has been in the headlines for his funny birthday wishes and trolling well-known personalities. Just like his cricketing days, Sehwag seems to have an answer for everyone and the responses are as witty as it can be.
The flamboyant Delhi lad made his debut for India in 2001 and scored a century on his Test debut batting alongside Sachin Tendulkar. He went on to hit the fastest century by an Indian batsman in the same year against the Kiwis. The following years witnessed an amazing rise of a man who was tipped by many experts as a specialist ODI batsman. He became the only Indian batsman to score a triple century in Tests against Pakistan in 2005 and went on to add one more against the Proteas in 2008.
He had a fierce rivalry with Shoaib Akhtar. He had a verbal duel with Akhtar during a Test match in Pakistan. the speedster was repeatedly peppering him with short deliveries and told him "Hook Marke Dikha" (let’s see if you can play the hook shot).
Sachin Tendulkar was batting at the other end and Sehwag in his own witty style replied, “Non-strikers end pe tera baap khara hain, usko bol marke dikhayaga” (Your dad is standing at the non-striker's end. Go and ask him he will show you how to hit”). The next over Sachin Tendulkar was at the crease and he hooked Akhtar for a big six. Sehwag came up to Akhtar and said "Baap Baap hota hain, beta beta hota hain” ( You cant reach the level of a father being his son)
Sehwag broke the record for the highest individual score in ODIs scoring 219 against West Indies in 2011. His record was later broken by Rohit Sharma in 2014. He was never shy of speaking his heart out and continues to do so even after his retirement.
#7 Shoaib Akhtar (Pakistan)
The “Rawalpindi Express” was the fastest bowler during his time and send shivers down the batsmen spine. Although his action was questioned by many, Akhtar was a vital member of the Pakistan set up during his playing days.
Akhtar has bowled the fastest delivery officially recorded in international cricket at a speed of 161.3 Km/h. He achieved this feat during the 2003 World Cup bowling to Nick Knight. He is also the first person to officially bowl at a speed of 100mph.
Dismissing Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar in consecutive deliveries at the Eden Gardens in 1999 remains the highlight of his illustrious career. As a youngster the deliveries bowled to Dravid and Tendulkar were simply unplayable as both the legendary batsmen were beaten by his sheer pace. Despite being a vital member of the Pakistan team, the speedster had many altercations with his board and teammates during his playing days.
He was even fined Rs. 300,000 for indiscipline during the national camp in Karachi and later used foul language against PCB protesting the imposing of fine. Controversies haunted him for the major part of his career but nonetheless he was an entertaining character in the cricket field and contributed to Pakistan’s success in a significant manner.
#6 Shahid Afridi (Pakistan)
The former Pakistan captain is regarded as one of the best all-rounders in the game and is considered a legend in Pakistan cricket history. Making his debut way back in 1998, Afridi made his reputation as destructive batsman very soon and held the record for the fastest ODI century for a long time before it was broken by Corey Anderson in 2014.
The former opener also holds the record for the maximum number of sixes hit in ODI cricket. Afridi later moulded his game and became a primary bowler, ending his career with 48 wickets in Tests and over 350 wickets in ODIs. He is also the leading wicket taker in T20 cricket with 92 wickets from 92 matches.
Afridi was involved in several controversies during his tenure as a Pakistan player. In November 2005 he was suspended for 2 ODIs and 1 Test for intentionally damaging the pitch in the 2nd Test of the 3 match series against England. On May 2011, Afridi announced his conditional retirement from international cricket in protest against his treatment by the PCB. The condition on his return was the board had to be replaced.
Afridi was discarded from the central contacts and was fined 4.5 million rupees ($52,300) by the board. In the later stage of his career, he was criticised by Pakistanis for saying that he got more love from Indian spectators than his countrymen. Besides that, his relationship with his national board was in turmoil for the latter part of his career.
In 2013 playing an ODI against West Indies in Guyana, Shahid Afridi finished with figures of 7/12-the 2nd best ODI bowling figures of all time. In March 2014 Afridi established “Shahid Afridi Foundation” which aims at providing healthcare and all sorts of educational facilities to the underprivileged students in Pakistan. He was also named among world’s most charitable athletes by Do Something in August 2015.
#5 Vivian Richards (West Indies)
Sir Issac Vivian Alexander Richards was the most destructive batsman of his generation and was a nightmare to bowlers all around the world. He was a naturally gifted stroke-maker and started dominating the bowlers from the beginning of his innings. At an age when his peers struggled to score at a strike rate of 60, the man from Antigua demolished serious bowling attacks and scored at a strike rate of over 90 in ODIs.
Richards made his Test debut against India in 1974 and there was no looking back from then. He scored a breathtaking 192 in his 2nd Test at New Delhi as West Indies saw him as a potential opener in the initial stages of his international career. He was also instrumental in West Indies winning the inaugural World Cup in 1975 and regarded the feat as his most memorable moment in his career.
In the following years, he continued to dominate the bowlers and also held the record for the highest individual ODI score with 189 against England in 1984 which was later broken by Saeed Anwar in 1997.
Richards had a love affair with Indian actress Neena Gupta in the 1980s with whom he has a daughter named Masaba Gupta who is a renowned fashion designer.
#4 Ricky Ponting (Australia)
Former Australian captain Ricky Ponting was one of the greatest batsmen of his generation and in his prime Ponting literally tormented bowlers around the world. He is the only batsman to score two centuries in his 100th Test and is the only captain apart from Clive Lloyd to win two World Cups for his country.
The Indian bowlers were at the receiving end of a Ponting masterclass in the 2003 World Cup final. The former captain plundered the Indian bowling all around the park during a scintillating display of batsmanship. He finished with 140 as Australia scored 359/2 in their allotted 50 overs. It was too big a score for India to chase down as they folded out for 234, handing Australia a second consecutive World Cup title.
He was severely criticised for his unsporting behaviour in the 2nd Test against India at Sydney in 2008. Several poor decisions were given by the umpires and most of them were against the visiting nation. India lost the Test in an unexpected manner on the final day and the then Indian captain Anil Kumble was very upset with the situation and said that only one team was playing in the spirit of the game.
Ponting bid adieu to international cricket playing his last Test against South Africa in 2012 at Perth.
#3 Sourav Ganguly (India)
“The Prince of “Calcutta” made his Test debut for India in 1996 scoring a century in his debut Test. He followed it up with another century in the same series and made a name for himself within a short span of time.
The southpaw then went on to score a majestic 183 against Sri Lanka in the 1999 World Cup at Taunton which is still regarded as one of the finest innings played in ODIs. He literally belted the Sri Lankan all around Taunton and notched up a 331 run partnership with Rahul Dravid for the 2nd wicket.
The Bengal Tiger was handed over the national captaincy in 2000 following the infamous match-fixing scandal involving some of his teammates. He began on a good note and captained India to the finals of ICC Knockout Trophy in Kenya in 2000 only to lose to New Zealand in the final.
In the following years, he continued to emerge as a world class captain and handled his troops with authority. Under him, players like Harbhajan Singh, Yuvraj Singh, Virender Sehwag, Zaheer Khan amongst others proved their mettle and continued to serve India for many more years.
The infamous “Shirt waving” incident at Lord’s is still fondly remembered by every Indian cricket lovers. Ganguly also captained India to the World Cup final in 2003 eventually losing to Australia in the final at Johannesburg. Apart from his leadership qualities Ganguly was a terrific opening batsman for India in ODIs and with Sachin Tendulkar, the duo formed a formidable opening partnership. The southpaw has a total of 22 centuries in his ODI career.
In 2005 after the appointment of Greg Chappel as India’s head coach, there was a fallout between him and Ganguly and the controversy took centre stage. Ganguly was removed as the Indian captain and was replaced by Rahul Dravid . He was also dropped from the ODI team on November 2005 nad later lost his place in the Test side at the end of January 2006. There was a huge uproar in Ganguly’s hometown of Kolkata and he was eventually recalled to the team after his replacements couldn't perform well.
Ganguly remained unsold in the 2011 IPL auctions after being the captain of Kolkata Knight Riders for the first three seasons. However, during his tenure, KKR couldn't reach the semi-finals in any of the editions. The left-hander is also the 2nd successful Indian captain after MS Dhoni and is considered as the man who ignited the belief in Indians that they have the ability to win Test matches in overseas conditions.
#2 Shane Warne (Australia)
Regarded as the greatest spinner of all time, Shane Keith Warne was a pure master at his art. Making his Test debut against India in 1992, Warne had a relatively sedate start to his international career. He was belted by Sachin Tendulkar and Ravi Shastri at Sydney and failed to find his rhythm in the remainder of the series.
In the 1993 Ashes tour to England, Warne bowled a magical delivery to Mike Gatting in his very first ball that turned after pitching way outside the leg stump to take the top of the off stump. It was a dream delivery by Warne and which was considered “the ball of the century”. The following years witnessed the rapid rise of the greatest wrist spinner of all time. Apart from India, Warne has performed in every condition and against every opponent even if the pitch was not conducive for spinners.
Warne despite being the greatest spinner of all time was a controversial figure in the cricketing fraternity. He was caught several times for smoking and had several other issues regarding his lifestyle. He was suspended from playing international cricket for a year after Warne tested positive for a banned substance prior to the 2003 World Cup.
Warne also criticised Steve Waugh publicly and termed him a selfish man. In 1994 he was involved with Mark Waugh to pass out information about the pitch and weather before a match to an Indian bookie. The duo received hefty sums for passing on the information.
Despite being married and having kids, Warne pursued other women. In 2005 he was involved in such an act when he allegedly asked Laura Sayers, a British woman to join him for a foursome involving Kevin Pietersen. A similar kind of controversy with stripper Angela Gallagher led to his separation with Simone Warne.
After the initial separation, Simone was willing to give Warne a second chance but he blew it when he mistakenly texted her wife a message which was meant for one of his extramarital partners. Warne was also allegedly involved in a threesome with two British models. which was later leaked.Later the legendary cricketer was involved in a relationship with Liz Harley who dumped the cricketer after she found out Warne had an affair with a porn star.
He finished with 708 Test wickets playing his farewell Test against England in 2007.
#1 Chris Gayle (West Indies)
The flamboyant opener from Jamaica made his Test debut for the national team against Zimbabwe in 2000 but his initial years at the international level was far from impressive. In 2002 he justified his selection in the side scoring 3 centuries in the calendar year and also became the 3rd West Indies batsman to score 1000 runs in a calendar year.
Gayle is one among the four cricketers to hit two triple centuries in Test cricket and is the only cricketer to hit a six in the very first ball of a Test match. He also became the 1st batsman to hit a double century in a World Cup game in 2015.
The big Jamaican is regarded as the greatest T20 batsman of all time and has scored 18 centuries in the format so far with Brendon McCullum being the distant second with 11. He has been an important member of every T20 team and has been a prolific run scorer for Royal Challengers Bangalore in the IPL. He also holds the record for the highest individual score in T20 cricket.
Besides his destructive batting prowess, Gayle is never shy of revealing his lavish lifestyle. He is a party freak and enjoys every moment like a king as he feels life is too short. In one of the recent interviews, he revealed that his house has a strip club. He further added that if one doesn’t have a strip club in his house he is not a cricketer. He explained that life is too short and he wants everyone who comes in his house gets thoroughly entertained and feel at home.
Seeing his lifestyle now very few would know that his childhood was far from lavish. His father was a policeman and his mother sold nibbles in their locality. Though they were never poor but were far from well-off.
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