3 international cricketers whose careers got affected because of disciplinary reasons

In the past, there have been quite a few cricketers who had been marked for greatness by pundits and fans. However, some of them couldn't achieve what they really should due to their poor behavior and indiscipline. The same seems to be happening with Sarafaraz Khan, who has been plundering runs in the domestic circuit in recent times.

In 37 first-class games, the 25-year-old has plundered 3505 runs at an average of 79.65 including 13 tons. Still, he has been ignored by the national selectors consistently, something which has become a subject of national debate.

There is a belief among some sections of people that Sarfaraz has missed out on India selection owing to his behavior on the field. The validity of this is unknown but it would be a tragedy if a talent like him doesn't represent India soon.

On that note, here's a look at three international cricketers whose careers suffered due to behavioral issues.

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#1 Kevin Pietersen

Second Test - Australia v England: Day Three

One of the most talented batsmen in world cricket in the early 2000s, Kevin Pietersen was known for his ability to score runs quickly. After making his international debut in 2004, quickly established himself as one of the team's leading batsmen.

However, Pietersen's career was also marred by controversy. He was often accused of being someone who was difficult to manage, and over the course of his career, he had a number of clashes with his teammates and coaches.

The most serious of these issues was the Text Gate scandal of 2012 in which Pietersen was accused of sending text messages to South African players during a Test series between the two teams. The messages were derogatory towards England captain Andrew Strauss and coach Andy Flower.

Post that, he made a few more appearances before once again being sidelined due to disciplinary issues. He was boycotted from all England teams before he called time on his career.

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#2 Umar Akmal

Pakistan Net Session

Umar Akmal is another talented batsman who failed to achieve his potential due to his indiscipline. In 2011, he was given a show cause notice by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for speaking to the media, a breach of his contract. In 2012, he was fined after he ignored an umpire's direction to wait for a change of gloves, and in 2014, a rash-driving episode coupled with an argument with a traffic officer led to his arrest.

In 2015, he was dropped from the national side after he attended a party without the PCB's permission. In 2016, there were two more issues with one being his unruly behavior at a theatre. In 2017, he was dropped from the Pakistan team for the Champions Trophy owing to fitness troubles. In 2019, just ahead of the World Cup, Akmal was for violating team curfew.

Then in 2020, he was banned for three years for failing to report corrupt approaches. All these episodes have hindered his progress in the international arena.

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#3 Ahmed Shehzad

Trinidad & Tobago Red Steel v Jamaica Tallawahs

Third on this list is Ahmed Shehzad, another Pakistani batter who many had high hopes of. Shehzad was fined in 2011 for a disciplinary reason and merely one month later; he was issued a one-match ban for showing dissent in the Quaid-E-Azam Trophy.

He was also reprimanded for suggesting conversion to former Sri Lankan batter, Tillakaratne Dilshan. During a PSL game, he was involved in a heated altercation with Wahab Riaz and things even became physical.

In 2022, he again showed dissent to a decision during the Pakistan Cup, leading to a fine. Shehzad's long list of controversies has led to his career's downfall.