Now we all as fans have connoted different adjectives to describe the game, which is a part and parcel of our lives and something which we simply cannot do without, isn’t it? According to most of us, it is a magnificent feeling to watch the great game of Cricket. Too many others, Cricket is something which fills the heart with massive excitement and lifts the spirit in a way that no other thing can. But too many others, Cricket can also be at times disappointing, besides being many other things.

While it is definitely called the gentleman’s game, the most famous statement that describes the sport in general, there are certain incidents in the game that have sort of tarnished. The overall image and reputation of the contest widely recognised as a team based sport. The incident such as match, fixing or spot fixing, and other scandalous instances have always threatened to bring up an element of maliciousness to otherwise pure and brilliant sport.

We have seen how the game was fixed back in the 1990s. A period of time where Cricket was in it and was exceedingly popular, especially in Asia. We’ve seen how a member of world renowned celebrities and supporting icons with themselves, responsible for bringing a bad name to the game.

Then, if not cheating, there have been other scandalous acts involved in the game, such as ball, tampering, and other foul place that have brought a bad name to the Sport in general.

The gentleman’s game- but not always

But the following are in a particular order, some foul instances or incidence, according to a leading English newspaper, the Telegraph that have cast dubious eye on Cricket:

Cricket’s worst cheating scandals according to Telegraph

1817 - First match-fixing ban (William Lambert). 1979 - Lillee’s aluminium bat. 1981 - Underarm delivery. 1995 - Hair no-balls Muralitharan. 2006 - Pakistan Oval ball-tampering forfeit. 2018 - Sandpapergate. 2023 - Carey-Bairstow stumping.

A word of note But we have to do well to remember that where it stands at the present moment, then Cricket is being governed by a vulnerable and powerful institution, which is, of course the ICC, which, in its present capacity is doing all it can to make the game safer, integral, and at the same time, utterly competitive with new quarters lost to those who would not batten it before bringing the game to disrepute.