posted Feb 22, 2008

Sledging will never (and should never) be taken from the game. The extreme, verging on racist or prejudiced and hurtful is out-of-order but most of these guys are fairly intelligent and give as good as they get. (Ref, Freddie and Tino Best a few years back).

The good-humoured verbals add to the spice of a clash, especially a series like the Ashes. It must be tough being out there for 5 days concentrating entirely on cricket, so if this alleviates some of the stress and boredom then the game is better and everyone gets more from it.

Some of the classics are brilliant and it adds an extra dimension to international cricket. While we don't want it at junior level, by the time you reach a decent standard a bit of sledging is good.

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posted Feb 22, 2008

One of my favs is the "I bet he`d run if there was a mar bars on the wicket" one.

That - or the bowler telling the batsmen - "it`s the round,red thing - you`re supposed to hit it", and the batsmen after smashing the next delivery over the fence "you know what it looks like, go an f%^&ing get it".

Of course simply calling someone a "fat potato" can do the job if it causes them to chase you around with a bat!

You need a bit of chat in the field.

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posted Feb 22, 2008

stuey law is right. a good captain will always tell his team-mates to stop when the sledging becomes too abusive. which teams are the worst for sledging in international cricket? australia and south africa. who are the captains? ricky ponting and graeme smith. the two biggest idiots u could imagine. both are just thugs. good batsmen undoubtedly but have no respect for the credibility of the game. maybe in 5 years when theyve both gone sledging wont be a bad. who knows.

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posted Feb 23, 2008

agreed Budgeesmuggler and I like your examples, verbal jousting is part of cricket going way back to when 'bloody hell' was quite strong. In fact my father once washed my mouth out with soap for saying 'bloody' infront of a lady

But are the ICC planning to make a list of words considered offensive 'swear' words because if we're going to issue a YELLOW card for using one of them then the players need to know the rules before they step out onto the pitch!

I'd like to see the ICC's list of swear words first That in itself could bring the game into disrepute before the rules ever get accepted

As for a RED card, would that player be forced to be substituted for a 12th or 13th man? I'd hate to see cricket teams fielding with only 10 or 9 players in the field. Maybe the scorecard of the future may read, the batsmen was out, sent of for a red card offence. Bloody joke

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posted Feb 27, 2008

The card system is great in theory, but how often are we seeing umpires caned for making decisions that require this sort of judgement.

Team Pakistan and Team India are guilty of throwing their toys out of the pram when such decisions are made - there's unfairness everywhere in the game if you go looking for it. Will umpires feel OK about using such laws, or will they see it as a route to exclusion like Hair (yea, yea, I know there was a whole lot of stuff to be considered with him) but more recently with the most experienced umpire on the circuit?

Maybe this is one for captains to manage if umpires are going to be called into question when thy use their judgement about vaguely boundaried issues like these - there is a line to be drawn, but as with all discursive problems, the line has to be drawn on a situation by situation basis. It is possible to be personally offensive without using swearwords. Cricket is war - captains want to win, so they are arguably not the guys to be responsible for policing this situation - umpires therefore need rigorous support from the ruling body to be effective.

These petulant protests by players and whole teams when they are adjudged to be in the wrong should be stopped. Take judgements on the chin and move on like soccer players have to. Time the Harbajans of this world grew up a bit if you ask me.

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posted Feb 27, 2008

comment by Crickomaster
posted 35 Minutes Ago

Time the Harbajans of this world grew up a bit if you ask me.
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they'll be burning effigies of you in delhi with comments like that, infidel!

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posted Feb 27, 2008

Of course sledging can be banned. I've played cricket for donkey's years and what was once some time-filling banter has become deeply personal, abusive, racist and not even funny. The umpires and the fourth umpire can pick up most things so it's perfectly possible to ban it - just a shame it should have come to this and that the Aussies, who could be hilarious with it, are the undoubted cause of the ban. This is what happens when you put winning before everything else - success, and everybody hates you

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posted Feb 28, 2008

If teams learn to take defeat with grace, than bantering would stop. The desire to win at all cost even if it means using bad words to disturb opposition player must be stopped.

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