Cricket has aspects that fascinate us. We are often left mesmerised by big sixes, breathtaking catches and sizzling Yorkers.
More often than not, the conduct of the players on the field is something that catches our eye. Those cheeky gestures, puzzling hand gestures and the verbal banter.
Verbal banter is always given the name of sledging. Sledging stands for the usage of remarks that are pointed towards an opponent which is mainly aimed at taunting him or derailing his focus.
It has always been a part of this wonderful game and whether we like it or not, it adds some spice to the proceedings.
One cannot expect it in each and every game because the emotions count too. Sledging is most commonly seen between two rival teams or those fighting for the top spot. Sledging brings out competitive best out of the players.
It makes the match look even more interesting and intense. It engages the spectators as well and I would say, sledging in a Test match is as good as whiskey on the rocks! Both go very well together.
Some may argue that sledging spoils the tagline of the game and it’s true up to an extent. Cricket is a gentleman’s game and it should be kept like that.
Players should know what the boundaries are and it shouldn’t get too personal. What happens on the field should stay on the field. Physical fights should be seen as an unforgivable offence.
Gentlemen don’t fight.
For those who say that sledging is bad for the game, howsoever small the taunt may be, times have changed, my friends.
Players like Virat Kohli, David Warner and Ben Stokes can’t help but stay competitive. You only win something when you truly compete for it.
In cricket, competing means retaliating whenever necessary and replying hard to an aggressive brand of cricket with the same.
Let’s take the infamous Mitchell Johnson and Virat Kohli rivalry. We all enjoyed it and if you didn’t, you probably didn’t see it. When you are being sledged, you really feel like giving it back to the opposition and those who are aggressive by nature, do give it back.
Virat Kohli and India failed to fire in England. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)
Players like Rahul Dravid give it back too, but not verbally. He was known to reply with his bat and that’s why he was known as the wall.
Batting for endless hours is no joke. Dravid had one formula to reply to his de. It was either block or a straight drive past the bowler, down the ground.
Such players are often termed defensive but I really feel that they are as aggressive as they can get. They might not show it, but they do feel it.
The Australians are known to be the best sledgers in the game. They often play mind games with the opposition and set their traps to perfection.
In the past, some players have carried their on-field banter off the field too, which is not a good sign. They paid the price for it though. ICC imposed heavy sanctions on the players involved. Like I said, sledging needs to know its boundaries.
Let’s take the infamous “Get ready for your broken f***ing arm” sledge by Michael Clarke to Jimmy Anderson. That series was pretty hot. Johnson was bowling thunderbolts and the Aussies looked like they were ready to give their life to get their hands on the urn.
It was highly competitive and both the sides enjoyed it. To be honest I enjoyed the all the banter in that series. After all, who does not enjoy competitive cricket? These players never crossed the line on the pitch and that’s what amazed me.
T20 games are anyway a bit too intense and sledging makes no sense. Having said that, Mitchell Starc vs Kieron Pollard was something to remember.
It was back in 2014 and Starc was steaming in. That’s when Pollard pulled out and Starc was just about to deliver.
Mitchell completely lost it. He completed his delivery anyway and the line of the delivery was angling towards Pollard. Now imagine something. Imagine that you have pulled out from a delivery and the bowler bowls it anyway at about 140 kph and it misses you by whiskers.
What would be your reaction? You’d completely lose it, right? Well, that’s what happened and Pollard threw the bat towards Starc. It hit the pitch fortunately and Starc was unharmed. But both the players crossed the line here and by a big margin.
Say what?
They were penalised accordingly. Instances like this don’t make much sense when the game is proceeding at a quick rate. The IPL is always intense.
Tests are the ideal platform for sledging and whether or not the ICC likes it, it does boost viewership.
Verbal banter is okay and the ICC should be lenient towards the players provided they don’t cross the line.
One cannot stop a competitive player from being competitive. After all, he’s competitive for a reason and that’s in the nature of his game. It would tamper his playing style and possibly, results too.
To conclude, I’d like to say that sledging is a part of the game and the competitiveness is bound to stay for the greater good. ICC should be a bit lenient when it comes to sledging and should let the players express themselves, provided they don’t cross the line.
Cadfael
Roar Guru
No problems with sledging as long as it doesn't get too personal but then who decides that. Bothams my wife and your kids was good. Mark Waugh'e choo choo against the kiwis was extremely poor.
Just Nuisance
Roar Rookie
Fully agree on that incident ruining the series for them , but it ruined it for us in SA too. It had the potential to be one of the great series in modern cricket history . So really millions of supporters in both countries were short changed. It also set the tone for the firstly unsavoury Rabada/Smith incident and I just wonder with all that animosity on the park how much that contributed to the ball tampering incident from an Aussie side that had become just a bit too desperate to put one over SA . This in turn lead to players making bad decisions they would not ordinarily have even considered .
Roarpete
Roar Pro
I agree with most of the other comments. Banter is not the same as sledging, and it is the conflation of these terms that lies at the heart of the issue. Australia leads the world in many areas. Sledging is certainly one of them, and we all know when it started. I would love to name a couple of overrated players and underrated sledgers, but as I say, we all know who they are. When players care more about winning than the health of the game, trouble ensues.
Daiwik
Roar Rookie
The Aussies were pretty good at and in my opinion they are still good at it. One single incident has tarnished their image. During the time of Ponting's era, they used to get inside a batsman's head without actually going personal or launching a personal assault on him.
Daiwik
Roar Rookie
It was almost as if the Aussies had an off day in their daily job of sledging ( in which they don't cross the line, by the way) and that one single incident ruined the entire series for them.
Just Nuisance
Roar Rookie
Excellent article Daiwik. Yes sledging is part and parcel of cricket . I post from South Africa and the goings on in the 1st test in the last series remains part of this discussion. We sledged each other when I played in high school and we sledged each other when I played later at club level. Shane Warne was recently interviewed on SA television and he reiterated what I firmly believe . Keep it on the field and have a beer later off it . This made the shenanigans between Warner and De Kock so disappointing to me . It sullied the fiercely competitive but always respectful relationship between these 2 sides. From all accounts the sledging by both became intensely personal . This is no longer sledging . It is just base insults. I would hate for Australia to be prohibited from sledging as I believe/hope this incident was a once off aberration . As for De Kock ...and I hope one day he gets to read this .....You were representing all off us on the field . To insult another mans wife under no matter what the provocation was a disgrace to those who wore the Protea badge before you , your teammates , supporters and indeed all South Africans . I wont speak to Warner , let his own countrymen do that . Lets go back to the future . It is simple .
Paul
Roar Guru
You're right Matt, it should be pretty simple, but for what ever reason(s), it's not.
Matt H
Roar Guru
Ah the line. As mythical and magical as the Loch Ness Monster. Often crossed, sometimes headbutted but never actually defined or seen. It should be pretty simply really. If it's not acceptable on the street it shouldn't be allowed on the field - e.g. racial abuse, discrimination against race, religion, sexual preference, etc, commenting on family members or personal attributes, physical threats. In other words you should be able to 'get in someone's head' about his technique, the pitch, the bowler, the pressure, etc, without threatening to kill him or calling out someone's mother, girlfriend, his boyfriend or church.
Paul
Roar Guru
I'm sure your article is well intentioned, but it adds nothing to the discussion that's being going on for at least 6 months about sledging. Your piece is also meaningless because you have repeatedly talked about "not crossing the line". When does verbal banter turn into outright abuse and who decides when that happens? You enjoyed the swearing from Clarke to Anderson, I though it was yet another display of foul mouthed ignorance from a guy who's supposed to be setting a better example as captain of Australia. For mine, I wish they' ban on field mics so players can say what they like and leave the decision about whether their comments are fair or not to the umpires. As it stands, the public gets a say now as well which is completely wrong.