Two years ago today, Marnus Labuschagne changed forever

Yes, a very timely validation of your article. He ended up getting 192 - the next best score from either side being only 46. At times he made Lyons look like a park cricketer, such was his dominance. Brilliant performance.

There was one a few years ago where Steve Smith was fined for his reaction to getting out in a Shield game. And watching the video there was really hardly anything in it. It wasn't even dissent at the decision, but more being disappointed with himself at getting out. He didn't even really hang around at the crease all that long. I thought that one was way over the top, and I've seen a number like that where it just seems way over the top. Some players are quite stoic and don't give much away on the field at all and that's the same when they get out. Other players wear their hearts on their sleeves a bit more. We certainly need to crack down on actual bad behaviour, but need to be careful not to punish people for simply being the more emotional type of person!

The tough part is allowing disappointed players to express themselves in an appropriate manner and for players to know what's acceptable and what's not. It wasn't that long ago batsmen were bashing down stumps because they thought they copped a bad decision, but I've seen the same thing happen because the player was simply disgusted with themselves. Both to me are unacceptable but they are extremes. I've also seen a player reprimanded for "throwing their head back in disgust". Granted it was a very long time ago, but it highlights how expectations of behaviours change. I'm just not sure whether a line can be drawn and if so, whether that line stays stationary, given society's "norms" for behaviours change constantly.

Too true, it is hard to make rules unambiguous, but the closer you get, the less argument about interpretation, especially from those in the firing line; players, officials, million backroomers. The rest of us of course can be willfully obtuse no matter how clear the directive, thats the prerogative of free speech........at the moment!

Definitely, it is the issue. At what point is the line? What is a reasonable level of being upset with what you consider a really bad decision, (or on some cases just disappointment with yourself in getting out). It's good to expect some level of self-control, and not just let out everything on the field. But we don't expect players to be robots either. We want them to play with passion to an extent because that actually makes the game better to watch. Nobody wants to watch a bunch of emotionless robots. But we also don't want to see genuinely poor behaviour. But defining a hard and fast line in that sort of area can often be hard. And the way one decision can change so much. Getting a dismissal wrong can completely change the course of a game. We've all seen tonnes of cases of players who survive a big shout that should have been out right at the start of their innings only to go on and make a big hundred. In that sort of case, that one decision could change the whole complexion of the match. And how many times where a batsman was incorrectly given out could they have been that player who went onto a big hundred if they could have survived that ball? Worse still when you have something like the BBL where they will watch multiple replays to check if it's a boundary, but won't check replays to confirm if a correct decision is given on a wicket because that will hold the game up too much.

You're a hard marker... You don't need to necessarily score a ton to do well - consistent good scores are even more important, which he did in England. He got very close to one during the Ashes anyway esp that time he was run out (probably his major weakness) for 80+ at Headingly, always a tough pitch to score on. And he had a better Ashes than Root last time, despite Root having the home team's advantage. I do rate him at least as good as Root for a start,

It's pretty hard to have unambiguous rules for human behaviours I2I. As you say though, that's the beauty of sport. I vividly remember decades ago getting a hiding from a teacher for raising my eyebrow. He called it "dumb insolence". That was a case where his perception trumped mine! :happy:

Yes he was good in England but the 100 in white ball cricket in SA has no bearing on red ball test cricket and ODI and T20 pitches are prepared so they are generally batsmen friendly – the snag is when the ball swings for more than 5 overs at each end which get TV networks twitching. So England yes he played well but still no ton – yet. The big four Williamson, Smith Kholi, and Root have scored tons all over the globe in different conditions and big tons as well. I don’t rate him as good as those 4 – yet. Future captain? Probably.

I guess that's the thing about perception, yours and mine can differ. That'd be why unambiguous rules are required, with impartial arbiters. I'm sure depending on the actual instance the player, umpire, yours and my perception can all be different too and the merry go round continues. The beauty of sport.

Yeah, but the ICC addressed that with match referees able to slate bowlers and fielders at the end of the day, or match, for dissent and take match fees or accrue points towards a suspension. Rabada comes to mind as a notable and regular transgressor. I'm not sure what these guys are doing is really the same, but both umpire and referee have the rule to test it if they wish.

He was clearly the second best Aussie in the last Ashes series in England and averaged over 50 for the series including scores in the 70s and 80s for his 2 innings at Headingly, traditionally one of, if not the, most difficult of the test English pitches to score on. That, on top of his brilliant county form, suggests to me that he has already proven he can score first class/test runs overseas (in England at least) . Don't forget he also scored a one day ton in SA so I don't think you can compare him to Warner in this regard.

So Ronan – first off I agree he has been outstanding …but all his centuries as I remember are in Australia and he struggled in the UAE as did the team actually. I think he got 4 50’s in England and Wales but just like Kyle Jamison – bowling ( though he was very good in his first IPL game) IMO he needs to prove he can score big with consistency in places like the sub-continent and elsewhere. Warner has, and maybe still does – have similar issues but I actually think ML is probably the better batsmen technique wise. He has been brilliant and deserves the accolades you give him but he needs to do more than just score centuries in Australia IMO in the same way Jamison needs to do more than just take 5 wicket bags in NZ – and I am a big Jamison fan – though both have been outstanding at test level so far but early days….and home town wickets and conditions are a big advantage for both players and that is obvious in their stats

Don't worry Chris, if this was a piece about James Anderson is Shane Warne, for example, I'd be having a dip at them too. DK Lillee probably started it for bowlers and was supported by Sir Richard. Both could carry on for ages, both with their appeals and with the mutterings, looks of digust etc. Ditto with fielders charging the umpires when they think a player's out. I thougt more than once some guys need to be sin binned for 10 minutes to calm down, the way some used to carry on.

Don't get me wrong, players have been showing their displeasure of umpires decisions for as long as cricket has existed. I think it's probably also a bit unfair to expect players to just walk off poker faced every time they get a poor decision also. But DRS has certainly brought questioning the umpire into the game, meaning that playing games where they don't have the option can probably make things even doubly frustrating for players. But I also find it interesting that people always have a go at batsmen for any sort of negative reaction to a dismissal, but bowlers (and the fielding team in general) often get away with a lot more. The fact that they get to make the appeal in the first place seems to mean that extending that appeal into shock and displeasure about the not-out decision is just about considered normal, and it's pretty rare for bowlers or fielders to get sanctioned for dissent in these sorts of circumstances.

I understand what you're saying but to me it doesn't matter why they're taking forever to leave the crease, the perception is, they have issues with the umpires decision. I get that players will be disappointed when given out. I also have no issues with a few seconds of reaction to getting out, but these guys and others, are giving the appearance of not respecting the umpires IMO and that's wrong.

I'm not so sure they're disputing the umpire, to me they're caught in the moment of being dragged mentally from the zone. There's been a lot of talk about these 3 especially being batting nuffies and it almost appears as though they just don't want to leave, because everything was going to plan, in fact can't believe they have to! I may be reading too much into that, but I don't think it's actually dissent, it's disappointment, which can then turn into hope for a lifeline. We've seen others slump over their bat, slap their pad, I just think it's their version of that. That's why I liked your comment earlier; I'm for a bowler send off!

again though, that's only in games where a review system is in place. I've seen Marnus take forever to start walking in Shield games, for example, presumably because he thinks the umpire made the wrong call. That attitude becomes a habit, as I think it has with Kohli and even Steve Smith, which needs to be snuffed out quickly.

Spot on, get it closer to the umpires review - in consult with square leg and upstairs - to be used for it's originally stated intent; correct howlers.

Chris is partly right, DRS has a large bearing, the umpires decision isn't final. The ridiculous situation of 'soft decision' to be overruled or ratified by an algorithm which isn't definitive enough, resulting in a reduced virtual size of the actual stumps has players second guessing everything. That doesn't account for Kohli standing there when cleaned bowled by Moeen Ali, nor strangely, the umpire asking for a look from upstairs! Gatting was gobsmacked by Warne's leggie, but walked off shaking his head because of the genuine players reaction around him told him he was out. Kohli backed away and knew the ball hit, his action was self serving. The game needs more reactions like Gatting, but it won't happen if the players believe they have a lifeline.