The T20 World Cup 2022 got underway and a big upset has been witnessed in the very first match of the tournament. T20 World Cup is considered to be the most important tournament in T20 cricket, and all the star players from around the world are eager to perform well in it.
But many times during this tournament, some controversies have also been seen. In this article, we are going to look at the top 5 controversies in T20 World Cup history.
#1 Yuvraj Singh-Andrew Flintoff face-off (2009)
India’s game against England in T20 World Cup 2007 will forever be remembered by all cricket lovers. During this match, there was a verbal fight between all-rounders Andrew Flintoff and Yuvraj Singh.
Before Yuvraj hit six sixes against Stuart Broad, this tussle with Flintoff took place. Yuvraj, perhaps resentful of this, hit Stuart Broad for six consecutive sixes in the next over, which went down in the history books. He also became the first cricketer to achieve the feat in international cricket.
#2 Shahid Afridi’s love for India (2016)
Shahid Afridi made a shocking statement that he got more love from India than his own country Pakistan. In an interview back in the day, Afridi said:
“I’ve not enjoyed playing anywhere as much as I have in India. I’m in the last stage of my career and I can say that the love I have got in India is something that I will always remember,”.
“We have not got this much love even from Pakistan. There are cricket-loving people here, much like in Pakistan. Overall, I’ve enjoyed a lot playing in India in my cricketing career,” he added further.
#3 Andrew Symonds sent home from 2009 T20 World Cup
The career of the late Andrew Symonds has been highly controversial. While he was loved by many, the Queenslander has found himself in many controversies throughout his cricketing career.
During the T20 World Cup 2009, he was sent back to Australia for disciplinary issues, while the tournament was still underway. Symonds was also booked for indiscipline after the match against Bangladesh. Symonds sadly passed away earlier this year.
#4 Quinton de Kock’s refusal to take the knee
During the T20 World Cup 2021 in the UAE, South Africa’s wicketkeeper-batter Quinton de Kock’s refusal to play against the West Indies caused a huge storm in the cricket world.
It was later revealed that he wasn’t too eager to take a knee, a gesture against racism that is on a rise all over the globe. De Kock later apologized for his actions via social media. The Proteas cricketer eventually returned to playing XI in the next game.
#5 Kevin Pietersen dropped from England’s squad
Kevin Pietersen played a major role in England’s 2010 T20 World Cup title. He was an integral part of the English squad and led their batting from the front for many years.
Given his reputation, Pietersen’s place in the T20 World Cup 2012 squad was considered certain. However, he was surprisingly left out of the England squad for that edition of the showpiece T20 event. His omission from England’s squad caused much discussion around the world.
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