5 cricketers who filed a defamation suit

Even though cricket has a reputation of being a gentleman's game, the game has had its fair share of controversies over the years and many of them have eventually turned into legal issues. More often than one might believe, frivolous accusations have forced cricketers to take to courts and file defamation (or libel) suits.

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Over the years, some of the most renowned names in the world of cricket have filed such suits. In the vast majority of those cases, the players have walked away with their reputations intact. Many such lawsuits have been filed to clear themselves off allegations that might have damaged their credibility irreversibly. Here are five leading cricketers who have filed such suits.

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#5 Ravindra Jadeja

Indian all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja is no stranger to controversies. In fact, he was once banned by the Indian Premier League (IPL) for having tried to negotiate his contract on his own with franchises ahead of the auction. In 2015, he was accused of being in cahoots with an alleged criminal named Bali Dangar by the Rajkot-based newspaper Aabtak.

The report alleged that Bali Danger, who is notorious for land grabbing in Rajkot, had business links with Jadeja and his business associate. Angered by the baseless accusation, Jadeja responded by promptly filing a defamation suit immediately against the newspaper. He claimed damages amounting to INR 51 crores.

#4 Marlon Samuels

Marlon Samuels has helped West Indies win the World T20 on two occasions

Marlon Samuels has been one of the most underrated heroes of West Indies cricket in recent times. After his heroics in the 2016 World T20 final against England in Kolkata, he had to endure some rather cheap comments from former Australian fast bowler Geoff Lawson. A day after that game, Lawson appeared on the morning sports show Big Sports Breakfast and alleged that Samuels was mixed up with criminal gangs based in Jamaica.

Samuels responded with a defamation lawsuit through his London based lawyers. Within a year, Lawson issued an apology and the broadcaster ended up paying an undisclosed amount in damages. Speaking about the verdict, Samuels declared, "Through this case, my intention was not only to defend my integrity and image as an international cricketer, but also the values I have defended all my career.”

#3 Chris Gayle

Chris Gayle during the infamous interview on the sidelines of a BBL match

In January 2016, Chris Gayle found himself in the eye of a massive storm. He was particularly flippant towards a female broadcaster on the sidelines of a Big Bash League (BBL) encounter in Australia. However, what followed thereafter was even bigger trouble. Plenty more details opening up on his alleged misbehaviour towards women came tumbling out of the closet.

The Australia-based Fairfax Media ran a slew of articles on how Gayle apparently exposed himself to the team masseuse Leanne Russell back in 2015. The Caribbean opener slapped the media company with a defamation case. On the 30th of October this year, he won the suit. The damages have not yet been decided but the judge in the Sydney court observed that Fairfax Media's coverage had been malicious in nature.

#2 Chris Cairns

New Zealand cricketer Chris Cairns appears in court on perjury charges

Chris Cairns was an extremely valuable cricketer for New Zealand during the 1990s and early 2000s. The former all-rounder was embroiled in one of the most high-profile defamation suits in cricket history. In 2012, Lalit Modi had alleged in a tweet that Cairns was involved in a match-fixing ring during his stint as captain for the Chandigarh Lions at the now defunct Indian Cricket League (ICL).

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Cairns filed a defamation suit against the erstwhile IPL commissioner in London. Following a stormy round of proceedings in London, Cairns won the libel case and was awarded damages worth £90,000. Although nothing could be proven about his involvement in match-fixing during that time, quite a few cricketers such as Lou Vincent and Brendan McCullum came forward with fresh allegations during a few years later even as Cairns himself was tried for perjury.

#1 Ian Botham and Allan Lamb versus Imran Khan

Allan Lamb (centre) leaves court with wife Lindsay (left) and Kathy Botham

Back in the mid 1990s, legendary Pakistan captain Imran Khan claimed in an interview to India Today that England cricketers Ian Botham and Allan Lamb held racist tendencies. In a newspaper column for The Sun, he aggravated his attack on Botham by alleging that the star England all-rounder had indulged in ball tampering during his career.

Both Botham and Lamb filed a libel suit against Imran Khan. However, in a remarkable reverse, the court in England ruled in the Pakistan icon's favour. The two England cricketers were asked to pay damages worth half a million pounds and Imran stunningly ended up winning a lawsuit that he was widely believed to lose. It remains one of the most famous instances relating to defamation suits in the game.