When cricketers got involved in bar brawls

Tags: David Andrew Warner, Jesse Daniel Ryder, Ricky Thomas Ponting, Yuvraj Singh, David William Hookes, Christopher Lance Cairns

Published on: Jun 14, 2013

Aussie opener David Warner had to sit out of the Champions Trophy clash against New Zealand on Wednesday after he was involved in an altercation with an England player (believed to be Joe Root) in a pub in Birmingham following Australia’s match against England.

Aussie opener David Warner had to sit out of the Champions Trophy clash against New Zealand on Wednesday after he was involved in an altercation with an England player (believed to be Joe Root) in a pub in Birmingham following Australia’s match against England. Australia were beaten comprehensively by England in the game that preceded the fight. This is not the first time that cricketers, especially Australians, have been involved in bar fights. Here’s a look at a few other players, who have got into altercations in bars in the past.

Jesse Ryder: The southpaw from New Zealand has been more in the news for his off-field antics although he is a highly-talented batsman. His drinking problem is common knowledge, and he even travelled with a doctor to India during the IPL in 2012. But, earlier this year, he nearly lost his life in a major bar brawl. Back in March, Ryder was brutally assaulted outside a bar in Christchurch. The attack was so severe that he ended up with a fractured skull and some severe internal injuries as well. Apparently, the Kiwi got into a heated argument with three people outside a bar, after which one of them followed him and assaulted him. Ryder was in an induced coma for a few days. Some feared for his life, but Ryder recovered soon enough.

Indian cricketers: Following India’s shabby performance during the 2010 World T20 in West Indies, six Indian cricketers from the side got into a heated battle with some fans in a pub. The six players were Yuvraj Singh, Zaheer Khan, Piyush Chawla, Ravindra Jadeja, Rohit Sharma and Ashish Nehra. Apparently, there were some people of Indian origin from USA in the same pub, and they were quite peeved to see their favourite cricketers enjoying themselves in spite of tasting defeat on the field. These fans had some harsh words for the pampered cricketers, which apparently did not go down well with them.

Ricky Ponting: The former Aussie skipper had been involved in bar brawls more than once during his younger days. During Australia’s famous tour of India in 1998, he was supposedly thrown out of a nightclub in Kolkata. It is alleged that he misbehaved with some women in the place. That’s not all. Less than a year later, he picked up a fight in a bar in Sydney. He ended up being beaten black and blue, and even lost consciousness. To his credit, Ponting worked on his drinking problem, and went on to become a legend.

David Hookes: The Aussie cricketer-turned-commentator lost his life in 2004 after being felled by a bouncer in a Melbourne pub. Hookes, who was then the coach of Victoria, was having a binge with his players, when he got into a fight with a bouncer, which ultimately proved fatal.

Chris Cairns: During the 2003 World Cup in South Africa, some New Zealand players got involved in a fight outside a night club in Durban. Veteran Cairns was hit in the mouth, and suffered some bruises.

--By A Cricket Analyst

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