5 cricketers who have had very flamboyant lifestyles

Over the years, there have been many cricketers who have had the ability to perform at an exceptionally high level on the field while also enjoying themselves and having a good time off the field. However, the close scrutiny that players face, nowadays, has made finding such characters in international cricket increasingly difficult. Let us look at 5 cricketers who enjoyed very flamboyant lifestyles:(Note: This list is in no particular order)

#1 Chris Gayle

Whenever the words ‘flamboyant’ and ‘cricketer’ come together, West Indies’ Chris Gayle is the name that comes to people’s minds. Although an immensely talented cricketer (he is, after all, one among only four people to get two triple centuries in Test cricket), it’s his off-field persona and flamboyance that have grabbed everyone’s attention in recent years.

And it’s not too surprising when you consider some of the following things. He once described his daily routine as “Shower, dinner, rum, party, drink, sleep” and has always said “When I party, I party hard”. He is known for posting crazy pictures of himself on Twitter for his fans. He has transformed his house from a single-storeyed building to a mansion with four garages, nine bedrooms, a personal cinema and more than one swimming pool.

He has had disagreements with the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) over contractual & advertising matters and has been banned on two separate occasions from playing for the West Indies. He also openly criticized the Jamaican government for not giving him his due over his cricketing achievements and also for not heeding to his requests on a couple of occasions.

#2 Kevin Pietersen

Kevin Pietersen, who is arguably England’s greatest batsman of the modern era, was known for his flamboyance both on and off the field during his playing career with the national team. Unfortunately, it seems as though it was that very flamboyance and perceived arrogance which cost him extending his international career by a few more years.

He was involved a fair share of controversies right throughout his playing career. Right from his verbal spat with former South Africa captain Graeme Smith during the tour of South Africa in 2004 to the bitter fall-out from England’s disastrous Ashes tour last year, his career was anything but smooth sailing.

He was the captain of England for a very brief period in 2008 before resigning as a consequence of falling out with then coach Peter Moores. His relationship with the England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB) was damaged irreparably post this incident, and he never held back from criticizing them. He is married to Liberty X singer Jessica Taylor.

#3 Ian Botham

Sir Ian Botham, till this date, remains one of the greatest all-rounders to have graced the game of cricket. The game came naturally to him, illustrated by his ability to hit sixes with the bat and take wickets with the ball with minimal effort. But he had his share of action away from the field too. Most cricketers would find it prudent to take proper rest before a match, but he could spend all night at a bar and then come out the next day and perform better than ever.

In 1986, he was caught smoking cannabis and banned for two months by the cricket board. In 1994, Imran Khan accused him, and Allan Lamb, of behaviour that brought the game into disrepute. Later, Imran also accused Botham of ball tampering.

The 59-year-old also had a falling out with many players like Ian Chappell, with whom there continues to be a bitter rivalry, and Geoff Boycott, whom he intentionally ran out due to his slow scoring. In 2001, his two-year affair with an Australian waitress in the 1990s was on the verge of being exposed, and he had to come clean and give a public apology to his wife, Kathryn Waller.

#4 Shane Warne

Shane Warne, undoubtedly, was one of the best bowlers the game has ever seen. He had a sharp cricketing brain and was touted to be the next Australian captain at one point. But his lifestyle and behaviour off the field let him down on quite a few occasions and deprived him of the ultimate honour of captaining Australia. He himself referred to his life as a ‘soap opera’.

He, along with Mark Waugh, was fined in 1995 for unknowingly supplying information to an Indian bookmaker. He was stripped off his vice-captaincy in 2000 for sending salacious messages to an English nurse whom he met at a nightclub. This was a huge blow to his captaincy ambitions. He also missed the 2003 World Cup because of testing positive for a banned substance on the eve of the tournament.

A series of infidelities caused his marriage with his wife, Simone Callahan, to fall apart after ten years in 2005. He got engaged to actress Elizabeth Hurley in 2007, but it was broken off in 2013. He lives in a mansion in Brighton, which is a beachside suburb of Melbourne. He is also a professional poker player and recently signed a two-year contract with 888poker, a company in London, to represent them in international poker competitions.

#5 Vivian Richards

Vivian Richards, who represented West Indies from 1974 to 1991, was held in extremely high regard by his peers and fans alike during his distinguished playing career. In recognition of his achievements, he was chosen by Wisden in 2002 as the third best Test batsman of all-time after Sir Don Bradman and Sachin Tendulkar, as well as the greatest ODI batsman ever.

What made Richards stand apart was his ability to dictate terms and intimidate the opposition, not just by his supreme stroke play but by the way he carried himself on the field. Legend has it that once in a county match, Greg Thomas tried to mock him after he had missed several balls saying “It’s red, round and about five ounces, in case you were wondering”. Richards duly hit the next ball for a six into a nearby river and retorted “You know how it looks, now go find it!”.

He is married to Miriam, with whom he has two children. He also had a brief affair with Indian actress Neena Gupta. He owns a huge mansion in his home country of Antigua and has a passion for travelling across the world. He also loves playing golf and claims to be very good at it. He was knighted in 1999 by the Antiguan government.