1. Mohammed Asif not happy with the effect steroids had on his demeanour, sent down an opium chaser to balance it out, surprisingly the Dubai Airport officials frowned on this.
2. Herschelle Gibbs tried a bit of Mary Jane in the West Indies. He also likes to drink’n'drive and match fix. He is all class.
3. Ed Giddons was suspended for 18 months after testing positive to cocaine. Best sledge he received “Don’t let them get up your nose, Giddo”. Imagine the worst.
4. Stephen Fleming used marijuana as a way to prepare himself for captaincy of the hardest working team in world cricket. No wonder he looked so calm.
5. Lalit Modi, the IPL guru was guilty of cocaine possession in North Carolina and given a 2 year sentence (which he didn’t serve). The two year decision had more to do with the kidnapping and assault charges he also pleaded guilty too.
6. Ian Botham admitted to enjoying weed, but denied claims he once got high on cocaine with a Miss Barbados and broke the bed during love making. Why?
7. West Australian Duncan Spencer was banned for taking the performance enhancing nandrolone. His first class bowling average was 39. Enhancing?
8. Maninder Singh the Indian left arm spinner got caught with 1.5 grams of white powder. This apparently had nothing to do with the dodgy LBW he received to tie the tied test.
9. Shane Warne thought he looked fat and took a diet pill that doubles as a masking agent. Perhaps he should have just eaten less Pizza.
10. Adeel Raja, a Holland International, was banned for using finasteride. It’s not surprising that a dutch cricketer had been banned for taking drugs, but all he did was forget to extend his dispensation that had been granted to him previously. .
11. Shoaib Ahktar was found with nandrolone in his system, but the PCB didn’t seem to mind that much, and once Bob Woolmer died, everyone had more important things to worry about.
12th man Phil Tufnell.
Coach: Brigitte Warne.
Imagine how much more dynamic and zippy Gatt would have been with a simple change from cake to coke
Never having tried drugs and played after a heavy night, honest, I am aware from hearing friends stories, that they do not work.Alcohol is a different matter. Hungover, my friend is a demon cricketer. After any illegal substances, he is useless.
George Best used to play the footie after bingeing – or was that on women rather than the drink?
Ceci, my FRIEND used to do the same, and was better at football hungover.That was before my friend became an angry cricket blogging, semi-sensible father.
I played cricket the day after my drunkest ever moment, sat all day at first slip. Which for me was normal, so no one noticed. Then someone got a nick, and I had to dive so far i caught it behind the second slip (who didn’t move), and i was fine, until everyone came up to pat me on the back, and i chucked up everywhere. Strangely enough the captain decided not to bowl me that day.
No hungover games for me unfortunately, but I did go to nets after spending 4 hours in the bar after my first history exam this year. I think the first team captain noticed as he decided to practice his bouncer while i was batting. Not the most enjoyable moment.
Duncan Spencer bowled very fast, but was also erratic.
Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, Aqib Javed, and Mushtaq Ahmed cannot be ignored from this XI.They should be there ahead of a few names you mention Uncle Selector.The 4 were caught with marijuana on a Jamaica beach and spent a night in prison which delayed the following days test match by a day.Tour of 1993 – Wasim Akram was captain.
That is true Q, but the charges were dropped and they have denied them, everyone else on this list was found guilty or admitted to the charges.
Like all selectors u have justified your picks Uncle J – and like all media men, I have ignored the criteria and questioned you ;-)
I don’t think they spent the night in a jail for possession. They spent the night in jail for being the only ones dumb enough to be busted in Jamaica for smoking pot.
Hmm that is quite strange when u come to think of it Samir.When they were arrested they had Rum bottles and marijuana around them and were with 2 white females.Their statements to the press was that the marijuana was not theirs as it had been found 10 feet away from them on the beach but they were the only people there. They also told the press that they were being framed.But seriously, who arrests people for smoking pot in Jamaica?