Pakistan
2 September 2015
Former Pakistan captain Salman Butt's return to domestic cricket after his spot-fixing ban attracted fierce criticism, with many arguing a captain who fixed matches should never play again.
England, New Zealand
1986-08-21
After admitting in the Mail on Sunday to having smoked cannabis, Ian Botham was banned for 63 days by the TCCB in May 1986 — and came back at The Oval in August to take a wicket with his first ball and pass Dennis Lillee's world Test wicket record.
England vs West Indies
1986-07-03
After Greg Thomas told Viv Richards he'd missed the ball, Richards smashed the next delivery out of the ground and told Thomas to go find it.
England vs West Indies
1966-06-16
Tom Graveney, recalled to the England side at 39 after a four-year absence — he had been dropped in 1962 for a county match in which his county had put him in without permission — scored 96 in England's only victory of the 1966 series at Lord's. His fluent strokeplay was in stark contrast to the struggle of younger colleagues, and his recall confirmed that county cricket's older generation still had things to teach the Test side.
Australia v England
1936-12-04
Don Bradman's first series as Australia's captain, in 1936-37 against Gubby Allen's England, began with two heavy defeats and a press chorus calling for his replacement. Bradman responded with 270 at the MCG, 212 at Adelaide and 169 at the MCG again, and Australia won the next three Tests to take the Ashes 3-2 — the only time in Test history a side has lost the first two Tests of a five-Test series and recovered to win it. The captaincy that English critics had questioned was suddenly the captaincy of a man who would lead Australia for the next 12 years.
England v Australia
1926-08-18
Recalled to the England side aged 48 years and 165 days, Wilfred Rhodes took 4 for 44 in Australia's second innings at the Oval in August 1926, helping to win England's first Ashes series since 1912. He remains the oldest man ever to play Test cricket.