The star-studded history of cricket, which spans over decades, has witnessed some of the most glorious moments and has also been a witness to some of the most dreadful controversies. A few of the most prominent and popular cricketers have left the fans stunned after being sentenced to jail for shocking offences. These shocking incidents and off-field scandals have undoubtedly plagued the history of the game and have tarnished the professional cricketing careers of the guilty players to a formidable extent.
From Pakistan’s Salman Butt to South Africa’s Gulam Bodi, numerous professional international cricketers have witnessed a drastic and heartbreaking end to their careers and have found themselves behind the bars for shocking off-field crimes and controversies. Have you ever wondered what actually runs behind the glitter of fame in the world of international cricket? Well, let’s find out.
In this article we will take a look at the top four professional cricketers who were jailed for their shocking offences.
Top 4 Cricketers Who Were Jailed For Their Shocking Offences
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Salman Butt, Pakistan
The iconic Pakistani former international cricketer and skipper Salman Butt, who represented Pakistan across all formats of international cricket from 2003 to 2010, is at the first spot in our list of the top four cricketers who went to jail for unbelievable offences. Salman Butt witnessed one of the most tragic downfalls in the history of international cricket during the 2011 Lord’s Test against England when he was found guilty of spot-fixing during an undercover investigation by the British tabloid “News of the World”.
The skipper of the Pakistan national cricket team was proven guilty of spot-fixing along with fast bowlers Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif, who allegedly conspired with a bookmaker, Mazhar Majeed, to deliberately throw no-balls in exchange for money. Following a detailed investigation by the International Cricket Council (ICC), Salman Butt was declared guilty in November 2011 and was sentenced to thirty months of prison in the United Kingdom. Although Salman Butt was released in seven months, he was banned by the ICC from playing professional cricket for a decade, which entirely ruined his cricketing career.
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Gulam Bodi, South Africa
At the second spot in our list of the top four professional cricketers who were jailed for their shocking offences, we have the trailblazing South African former international cricketer Gulam Bodi who represented his country at Under-19, Twenty20 and ODI level. Gulam Bodi’s flourishing cricketing career came to an abrupt end during South Africa’s premier domestic competition, the Ram Slam T20 Challenge 2015-16, when he was found guilty by investigators for acting as an intermediary between bookmakers and domestic players.
The entire controversy struck as a major shock for his fans from all around the world. After a detailed investigation, Gulam Bodi was banned from all forms of professional cricket activities for two decades and was also sentenced to five years of imprisonment in October 2019. Gulam Bodi’s ban and imprisonment undoubtedly plagued the history of the South African national cricket team on an international level.
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Navjot Singh Sidhu, India
Next, at the third spot in our list of the top four cricketers who went to jail for unbelievable offences, we have the legendary Indian former international cricketer and politician Navjot Singh Sidhu, who represented India across all formats of international cricket from 1983 to 1999. Navjot Singh Sidhu, often also popularly referred to as the “Sixer King” by millions of cricket aficionados from all over the world, was sentenced to one year of rigorous imprisonment for the infamous 1988 road rage altercation which killed a 65-year-old man from Patiala, Punjab named “Gurnam Singh”.
According to reports, Navjot Singh Sidhu along with his friend Rupinder Singh Sandhu got involved in a violent altercation with Gurnam Singh over a parking space in their hometown Patiala, Punjab. During the ugly altercation, Navjot Singh Sidhu struck Gurnam Singh, after which he collapsed and passed away on the spot. The case dragged on for decades and the Supreme Court ultimately declared Navjot Singh Sidhu guilty of “hurting” the deceased in May 2022 and sentenced him to one year or rigorous imprisonment.
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Mohammad Asif, Pakistan
Finally, at the fourth spot in our list of the top four professional cricketers who were jailed for their shocking offences, we have the iconic Pakistani former international cricketer Mohammad Asif, who represented the Pakistan national cricket team from 2005 to 2010 across all formats of international cricket.
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Mohammad Asif was found guilty in a spot-fixing scandal during the 2010 Test match between England and Pakistan at Lord’s alongside Salman Butt and Mohammad Amir. According to reports, they deliberately threw no-balls in the match in exchange for money. Mohammad Asif was convicted by London’s Southwark Crown Court and was sentenced to one year of imprisonment. Additionally, Mohammad Asif received a seven-year ban from the International Cricket Council (ICC) from all forms of professional cricket which entirely ruined his career.
