ODI Cricket: 3 most controversial matches

Cricket is certainly one of the most popular sports in the world, there have been numerous nail-biting last ball thrillers to illustrate the unpredictability of the sport. The game has gained immense stardom and has attracted a phenomenal number of spectators after the advent of the limited overs format of the game.

Moreover, the Cricket World Cup has been a tremendous platform for the players to showcase their talent at the grandest stage against the best teams in the world. More often than not, there have been breathtaking individual performances which have not only won the game for their sides but have also grabbed eyeballs from every corner of the world.

On the contrary, though, a few poor team performances also gained controversy as their occurrence left the audience awestruck.

Moreover, on various occasions the result of the games have been controversial, primarily owing to the cricketing rules that have often been difficult to comprehend in tight circumstances. Here are the top most cricket matches that stunned the cricketing world for all the wrong reasons.

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#3 South Africa vs England (1992)

The most confusing finish to a World Cup game?

The 1992 edition of the World Cup was the debut tournament for the Proteas and the talented side led by Kepler Wessels made it to the semi-finals. The semi-final game against England was affected by rain and was reduced to 45 overs per innings. The English side posted a decent total of 252 on the scoreboard, courtesy a brilliant 83 from Graeme Hick.

The Proteas in response managed to score 232 for 6, with 22 runs required off 13 balls for victory. The rain interrupted the game again and when the target was revised South Africa needed 22 runs off 1 ball as per the D/L method. The game gained immense criticism from every corner of the world.

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#2 India vs Sri Lanka (1996)

The semi-final between India and Sri Lanka of the 1996 World Cup at the Eden Gardens was probably the worst nightmare for Indian cricket. Chasing a target of 252, India were cruising at 98 for 1, when catastrophe struck and the Men in Blue lost 7 wickets for 22 runs.

The outrageous crowd made it impossible to carry on and the game was called off, Sri Lanka was awarded the match win and this became one of the most controversial matches ever in the history of one-day cricket.

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#1 Sri Lanka vs England (1999)

Carlton & United Muttiah Muralitharan and Arjuna Ranatunga

The eighth match of the 1999 edition of the Carlton & United Tri-series between Sri Lanka and England was probably one of the most controversial matches ever to be played in the history of one-day cricket. The triangular series contested by the host Australia comprised England and Sri Lanka.

During the English innings, the umpire Ross Emerson no-balled the legendary Sri Lankan off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan twice for throwing. Raged by the umpire's decision, the Sri Lankan captain Arjuna Ranatunga left the field with his team.

They were eventually recalled and Sri-Lanka managed to chase a stiff target of 303, with Muralitharan hitting the winning runs for his team.

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