Sledging, is it part of cricket?

[jordox]

Well how can they take offence to something they don't know the meaning of?

Because they know they are having a crack at them. If you have a slip cordin and a keeper all laughing at you saying stuff to you in Hindi, you can tell by their body language and how they are saying it they are sledging you, but you don't know what they are saying.

It's worse because they could be saying the most terrible things and you don't know.

 

[IloveGilly]

McGrath's sledging is something that works for both bowlers and batsmen.

 

[Leggie]

Personally I think sledging should be allowed as long as it is kept to Friendly Banter and nothing else like discrimination. The type of sledging I mean is "C'mon, lets have this one back to the pavillion, he's a sitting duck", whereas I think sledging like "Lets have this Bombay Curry out the way" is totally inacceptable because it includes race and nationality and therefore is discrimation...

Also I think sledging should be kept on the field, and if you notice at the end of each day's play with India and Pakistan (Neither of them sledge anyway IMO), all the players from both sides were/are laughing and joking with each other because they let the batting, bowling and fielding do the work.

 

[ivanvdm15]

LOL!, Sanga to Pollock that's one of the best , if its that kind of sledging it should be allowed because its not offensive or bad language.

 

[manee]

Cricket is a vastly different game to what is was 50 years ago, even 30 years ago. The game is no longer simply technique and ability, a lot of it is based on the fitness and physical strength of players and thei mental strength and ability. Its a much more all round game. Its just the evolution of the game. It's no suprise that the best side in the world also happens to be the fittest, with some frankly outstanding athletes and players who have massive desire to compete. Same can be said for the second placed side, even if they are skippered by an arse.

Indeed. It is no coincidence that the two highest ranked teams in ODIs and Tests are the two strongest physically...

with the fastest pace attacks.

 

[ivanvdm15]

Well to me West Indies also have big mouths look at Gayle always in the thick of things and Powell also a bit aggresive.

 

[Sureshot]

Being able to back up sledging helps. The WIndies are so far behind the other teams (barring Bangladesh obviously) that sledging from them, is almost, without point.

 

[smssia0112]

If you see two subcontinental sides playing, you rarely see any sledging.

Most of the sledging we do is in reaction to the sledging of Australian and South Africans. Every single incident of sledging was initiated by the other side.

So there goes your theory out of the window.

Which proves Sohum's point, you only believe what the media feed you. If you think that none of your players have ever started sledging before then you're a fool. I'd be willing to bet that guys like Sreesanth and Shoaib have had a few words to say before. In fact, I'm pretty certain that Sreesanth has done as much.

It reminds me of the time that the Aussie team were accused of making train noises when Chris Cairns came out to bat, not long after his sister had been killed in a train crash. It was claimed that Gilly started it, and not only did he deny it and threaten legal action against the journalist who fabricated it, but Cairns also called it rubbish.

Even in that article from the Geelong Addy (which happens to be one of the worst papers in Australia, most Geelong residents agree with me) the Pollock/Ponting one is as old as anything, and had nothing to do with either player.

All teams sledge a bit, the Aussies may enjoy it but as far as I'm concerned, if it doesn't cross the line, then it's acceptable. If everyone is silent, it takes a lot of the competitive edge out of the game.

 

[BONED!]

If everyone is silent, it takes a lot of the competitive edge out of the game.

Well said!

 

[jordox]

If everyone is silent, it takes a lot of the competitive edge out of the game.

Difference between being silent and sledging though. All professional cricket teams talk to each other, you'd have to or the team would slack off.

 

[evertonfan]

I think it's vital to cricket being adopted by more fans worldwide. Let's face it, everyone loves a bit of controversy and drama don't they? As bad as this whole monkey/racism business is, it's made my whole college talk about cricket and at least 90% probably would never have talked abotu cricket beforehand.

But more specifically on sledging, it shows that your team is passionate about winning. It shows that they'll do anything to win. It's this 'Lombardian ethic' that makes me proud of the players on the teams I support. Look at football as well, I wouldn't reccomend all the handbags that goes on and all the 22 man brawls you have in the game, but at least it shows which players are passionate and would run through brick walls for your team.

To summarise, sledging is a vital part of the modern game. If you don't like it then tough, because it's here to stay. Go and have a tea party.

 

[slade]

It part of cricket, but we shouldn't be proud of it. If you are good enough, why do you need to say anything? the scorecard will speak volumes ... The legendary west indian pace attack wouldn't abuse the batsman, they just followed a play and miss with a longer follow through and a stare.

What i want to know is where and how you would draw the boundary between something that is acceptable and something isn't. An earlier posters seem to say racial abuse is unacceptable but insulting someone's family or sexuality is ok. What makes racial abuse different from either of these insults. For example, McGrath allegedly imitated the noise of a train ("choo choo") to a Kiwi batsman whose sister died in a train crash.

In amateur games, sledging is banter about someone not being very good at cricket, which after all is a just a game to the players. But at the pro level, it would be someone insulting your professional ability, which you would take much more seriously. It causes an unnecessary amount of aggravation and strife which no one wants.

 

[Sureshot]

Chris Cairns was the player in question and said the claims were untrue.

 

[aussie1st]

It part of cricket, but we shouldn't be proud of it. If you are good enough, why do you need to say anything? the scorecard will speak volumes ... The legendary west indian pace attack wouldn't abuse the batsman, they just followed a play and miss with a longer follow through and a stare.

I see what you're saying but if a player isn't mentally tough enough to handle a sledge then why not keep doing it to them? If it gets them out then why not. If they are then they won't be effected by it.

 

[punterpupnroy]

people usually sledge to get into the mind of the player. For example Mike Hussey in his 2nd match for WA he was batting and came of for lunch when Greg Matthews followed him and said he had a nice backside. The over back from lunch Huss got out. This info is from his book Mr Cricket.