Cricket has always been regarded as a gentleman's game but, over the years, there have been many players who have stolen the attention of fans across the world with their bad boy image.  Interestingly, some of them have also backed up their antics with amazing skill. Flawed character may have eventually led to the ruin of many a talent but some still survived to make a mark in the game. Ian Botham is hailed as Britain's finest sportsman and his heroics in the 1981 Ashes series are still talked about with reverence. However, there were many traits in him that would not have made the ideal impression on a rising cricketer. Botham enjoyed his drinking binges and in 1986 became the first cricketer to be punished for drug use. He got suspended for two months for using cannabis. It's another matter that he still went on to retire as one of the greatest allrounders the game has ever produced.

Shane Warne, the legendary Australian leg spinner who went on to break all records, was no different. He smoked heavily, had a short temper and loved to be a woman's man. He even got caught for using a class of drugs classified as diuretics and was banned from cricket. Even after his retirement, while playing in the Indian Premier League, he continued to sport the bad boy image. In the just concluded IPL, he had a public spat with a state association secretary and got fined. Warne still managed to cut it as a brilliant captain in the IPL but was not considered to lead Australia in the long term on account of the negative perception about him rather than his abilities as a player. Pakistan's Shoaib Akhtar who holds the world record for the fastest delivery in the history of the game has done everything that defies the spirit of cricket. He got caught for using banned drugs, tampered the ball, abused opponents, allegedly smoked cannabis in a night club, allegedly slapped former Pakistan coach Bob Woolmer and also hit his teammate Mohammad Asif with a bat. Yet Akhtar was a genuine match winner although in the end his indisciplined lifestyle eventually caught up with him. England's Andrew Flintoff was undoubtedly a great allrounder. It was his splendid performances that ended Australia's dominance in the Ashes series. Unfortunately, he had a weakness for alcohol and was spotted at 3am on a pedalo boat off the coast of St Lucia after England played their first World Cup match in the West Indies. However, despite all these bad traits, he may have gone on to break many records had it not been for a nagging knee injury.

India's Yuvraj Singh is one of the most talented players the country has produced but he will also rank high among the bad boys. A weakness for the night life and indiscipline has often set him back and even cost him his place in the team. He holds the record for six sixes in an over and is hailed as one of the finest hitters in the contemporary game. He was ajdudged the man of the final in the World Cup final earlier this year. Despite being senior to Mahendra Singh Dhoni, his bad image has resulted in him not being considered as India's captain. Andrew Symonds of Australia is no different. He was sent home from the Twenty20 World Cup due to many alcohol related incidents. From being a match winner he lost his place in the team. India's Shantakumaran Sreesanth too has earned a negative reputation with his inability to rein in his temper. He pushed the limits of sledging to new heights and even forced captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni not to consider him in the team. 

Despite his temperament he remains one of the finest bowlers in Test cricket. There are many cricketers who have succeeded in checking their vices to become great players.  Topmost among them is Australia's Ricky Ponting. In 1999, he was even dropped from the Australian squad due to his addiction to alcohol and following an incident at a Sydney night club. An altercation at the night club saw Ponting knocked out with a black left eye. He was time and again caught for breaking the team's curfew but soon recovered from his excesses to be recognised as one of the contemporary game's greatest batsmen and captains. New Zealand's Stephen Fleming who went on to become that country's most successful captain after breaking into the team as a 22 year old was caught in 1995 for smoking marijuana with teammates Matthew Hart and Dion Nash. Fleming later went on to become a role model for his peers.

Celebrity Cruises is a cruise line founded in 1988 by the Greek Chandris Group. Common features on board Celebrity brand ships are aft glass dining rooms, formal foyer areas, alternate dining venues, balcony and suite staterooms, large pools and lounging areas, signature bars and lounges, libraries, elegant spas and gyms, and relaxation areas. The shiny new Celebrity Silhouette will welcome passengers for the first time later this month in Germany but that’s the easy part for one of the world’s premium cruise lines. Silhouette departed the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany for open seas this week but not before completing a 26 mile navigation of the River Ems where she had less than five feet of room to maneuver at certain points. Adding to the drama as the multi million dollar vessel inched its way along the river: Captain Dimitrios Kafetzis guided the ship in revers. Celebrity Silhouette begins its 42 KM transit backwards down the river Ems, navigating several narrow gaps with less than 0.75M clearance each side. The transit to the sea takes 12 hours. The ship will be officially launched at its naming ceremony in Hamburg on July 21.

Preparations for the journey  termed a Conveyance included the removal of power lines and railway tracks that normally pass over the river to allow the ship to traverse through. The journey was also precisely timed to take place at high tide to ensure ample depth beneath the hull and when weather conditions were calm enough to avert the possibility of wind causing the ship to run aground. The route along the River Ems included various locks and other tight squeezes, even traveling on an aqueduct over an autobahn. The vessel cruised at less than four miles per hour. After finishing work is completed in Emshaven, the Netherlands, the 2,886 passenger Silhouette will sail to Hamburg where it will be named during formal ceremonies on July 21.

The vessel is the fourth of five stylish Solstice Class ships from Celebrity  Solstice, Equinox, Eclipse preceded her and she boasts a number of exclusive new features, including the Lawn Club Grill, the industry's first outdoor, interactive grill; The Hideaway, a high tech location reminiscent of a childhood tree house for guests to relax inside; The Alcoves, luxurious, private cabanas overlooking the ship’s lawn on the top deck amidst spectacular views of the sea; and the Art Studio, a space where experienced and aspiring artists can participate in hands-on instruction from experts in drawing, beading, sculpting and painting. The ship will also feature top tier designer boutiques, exclusive restaurants and the hip Celebrity iLounge, offering guests classes on the use of iPads and iPhones, among other products, which also are available for sale onboard.

When the christening ceremonies are completed, Silhouette will sail from Hamburg to Rome where she will offer 12 night roundtrip cruises to the Holy Land through the summer. Look for 12 night Caribbean cruises roundtrip from Cape Liberty, NJ, beginning in November. One of the world’s top premium cruise lines, Celebrity sails to Alaska, Australia or New Zealand, Bermuda, California, Canada or New England, the Caribbean, Europe, Hawaii, the Pacific Coast, Panama Canal, South America, and year round in the Galapagos Islands. The line also offers immersive cruisetour experiences in Alaska, Australia or New Zealand, Canada, Europe and South America.One of the fastest growing major cruise lines in the world, Celebrity’s fleet consists of nine ships, with one additional Solstice Class ship Celebrity Reflection scheduled to sail in the fall of 2012.