Six legendary cricketers who were into substance abuse

Cricketers enjoy a lavish lifestyle and it is not a big secret that they earn lots of money. With money, it is understood that the players do get a lot to enjoy, although they go through a lot on the field. 

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However, many cricketers from the past have either admitted to or been caught being addicted to drugs. With the Pakistani legend Wasim Akram revealing his other side in his upcoming autobiography, we handpicked five other players who were caught red-handed. 

Here are the six players who lost their respect because of drug use:

1) Wasim Akram

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Wasim Akram (Image Source: Twitter)

Akram revealed some unbelievable secrets in his upcoming autobiography as the former legendary player admitted to cocaine usage post his retirement. Akram gave a hint of his autobiography in an exclusive interview with The Times. 

“The culture of fame in South Asia is all-consuming, seductive and corrupting. You can go to 10 parties a night, and some do. And it took its toll on me,” The Times quoted the legendary Pakistani plater as saying. 

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2) Stephen Fleming

Stephen Fleming (Image Source: Twitter)

Many would be surprised to read the name of the renowned New Zealand player here. However, Stephen Fleming was caught smoking pot along with teammates Matthew Hart and Dion Nash, in South Africa way back in 1994. 

However, the former opener made his way back and went on to achieve greater heights in his career. In addition to his career as a player, Fleming also went on to make a statement as a coach. For the unversed, the former Kiwi player is the coach of the Chennai franchise from the Indian T20 League. 

3) Mohammad Asif

Mohammad Asif (Image Source: Twitter)

It happened during the 2006 Champions Trophy when the former Pakistani was found guilty of intaking nandrolone - an anabolic steroid and was also banned for one year, although the decision was reversed at the earliest. 

However, the incident still remains one of the darkest of all times in Pakistan's cricket history. Much to the dreariness of the player, he was banned from participating in the 2008 edition of the Indian T20 League for failing a drug test. 

4) Yusuf Pathan

Yusuf Pathan (Image Source: Twitter)

Yusuf Pathan, the Indian legendary allrounder had his own share of a darker story, although it was not as severe as Wasim Akram or Mohammad Asif. The right-handed batter failed a dope test and was handed over a five-month suspension that ended in January 2018. 

Post the conclusion of the ban, the player went on to take part in various domestic tournaments in India and recently, the batter took part in the Legends League Cricket and Road Safety World Series. 

5) Shane Warne

Shane Warne (Image Source: Twitter)

The legendary Australian Shane Warne was once in the spotlight, rather for an unwanted reason. The legendary Aussie bowler for banned for a year in 2003 when the World Cup was right around the corner after testing positive for using a diuretic drug. 

However, the legend came back to glory post the ban and broke as many records as one could expect. Warne also went to take part in the Indian T20 League for the Rajasthan franchise and won the inaugural edition in 2008. 

6) Shoaib Akhtar

Shoaib Akhtar (Image Source: Twitter)

Shoaib Akhtar’s incident dates back to 2006 when the legendary bowler was caught using a drug that would eventually improve his performance. The pacer was caught red-handed using the drug alongside Mohammad Asif who got banned from the tournament. 

However, Akhtar carried on with his passion and went on to represent Pakistan until the 2011 World Cup, in which, Pakistan lost to India in the semi-finals. As of now, the legendary pacer is giving interviews and analysing the matches on his YouTube channel.