5 most controversial moments in Ashes history

England and Australia are all set to renew their epic rivalry when they take on each other in the upcoming Ashes. The five-match series will begin with the first Test at Edgbaston in Birmingham on June 16. Ashes 2023 will end with the fifth and final Test at the Kennington Oval in London, which will be played from July 27 to 31.

Australia, who hammered England 4-0 during the previous Ashes series in 2021-22, will go into the upcoming challenge high on confidence. They recently beat India by 209 runs in the World Test Championship (WTC) final at The Oval, coming up with a clinical all-round effort.

Unlike the previous Ashes, though, England are unlikely to be pushovers. Under the Ben Stokes-Brendon McCullum captain-coach combination, the hosts have overturned their Test fortunes in sensational fashion. There has been plenty of hype over how England’s ‘Bazball’ approach will match up against a strong Aussie outfit.

Apart from some fantastic on-field performances, the Ashes have also witnessed some shocking controversies over the years. In this feature, we rewind to five of the most controversial moments in the England-Australia Tests.

#5 Stuart Broad refuses to walk

Australian players are stunned as the caught behind appeal against Stuart Broad is turned down. (Pic: Getty Images)

During the 2013 Ashes, England pacer Stuart Broad was batting on 37 in England’s second innings during the first Test at Trent Bridge. He nicked left-arm spinner, Ashton Agar. The ball deflected off wicketkeeper Brad Haddin’s glove to Michael Clarke at slip.

While it was very clear that Broad was out, umpire Aleem Dar shockingly did not raise his finger. Broad stood his ground as if nothing had happened, much to the horror of the Australians.

Broad went on to score 65, with the knock proving vital in the context of the match as England went on to win the Test by 14 runs.

#4 Tim Paine sexting scandal

Former Australian captain Tim Paine. (Pic: Getty Images)

In a shocking development, keeper-batter Tim Paine stepped down as Australian Test captain just ahead of Ashes 2021-22. The cricketer paid the price for sending sexually explicit text messages to a female colleague, a Cricket Tasmania staffer, in 2017.

Incidentally, he was investigated by the sport's national integrity unit over the same a few months before he took over the captaincy. He was cleared of wrongdoing, but once the details became public, there was no way Paine could continue in the prestigious role of Australia’s Test captain.

While stepping down, Paine commented:

"I'm deeply sorry for the hurt and pain that I have caused to my wife, my family, and to the other party.”

#3 Dennis Lillee’s aluminum bat controversy

Dennis Lillee confronts the umpires during the Perth Test of 1979-80 (Photo: Old Cricket Photos, Twitter)

During the 1979-80 Ashes Test at the WACA, Perth, former Australian pacer Dennis Lillee famously (or rather infamously) went out to bat with an aluminum bat manufactured by a company owned by his friend.

Back in the day, there were no rules against using an aluminum bat. However, then-England captain Mike Brearley complained to the umpires, claiming that the metallic bat was damaging the soft, leather cricket ball.

Following the discussion, the umpires told Lillee he had to change his bat, who did not budge, leading to another animated discussion.

Eventually, Aussie skipper Greg Chappell went down to the ground and managed to ‘convince’ Lillee to use a normal wooden bat. The latter threw his aluminum bat away in disgust.

#2 Moeen Ali alleges racism

Moeen Ali celebrates a wicket with teammates. (Pic: Getty Images)

A few years back, Moeen Ali, who has come out of Test retirement for the upcoming Ashes, alleged that an Australian player referred to him as ‘Osama’ during the 2015 series.

Writing in his autobiography, the all-rounder claimed that he was subjected to racial taunt during the first Test at Cardiff in 2015, a game in which he scored 77 in the first innings and took five wickets as England won by 169 runs.

Recalling the Osama taunt, Moeen wrote in his book:

"It was a great first Ashes Test in terms of my personal performance. However there was one incident which had distracted me. An Australian player had turned to me on the field and said, 'Take that, Osama.' I could not believe what I had heard. I remember going really red. I have never been so angry on a cricket field.

"I told a couple of the guys what the player had said to me and I think Trevor Bayliss [the England coach] must have raised it with Darren Lehmann, the Australians' coach. Lehmann asked the player, 'Did you call Moeen Osama?' He denied it, saying, 'No, I said, 'Take that, you part-timer.

"I must say I was amused when I heard that, obviously I had to take the player's word for it, though for the rest of the match I was angry,” he further wrote.

Moeen added that he again brought the incident up towards the end of the series, but once again, the player denied the ‘Osama’ slur, stating that some of his best friends were Muslim.

#1 The Bodyline shocker

Bodyline led to a massive controversy. (Pic: Twitter)

Undoubtedly, Bodyline is the biggest Ashes controversy. It was a tactic devised by the England team, led by Douglas Jardine, for their 1932–33 Ashes tour of Australia to try and counter the legendary Sir Don Bradman.

In bodyline, the ball was bowled, at pace, at the body of the batter, expecting him to defend himself with his bat. The approach was aimed at inducing a deflection off the bat, which could be caught by one of several fielders standing close by on the leg side.