Hinds and Smith in confrontation

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

"Mind the windows... BOOM" is one of the most entertaining moments in Test history.

[Pratters]

Too much is made of the sledging issue.

How many people try and sledge Sachin Tendulkar? McGrath tried it and it pepped the batsman to thrash him all over the park. Manjrekar once made an interesting comment that when Tendulkar is batting you want to almost make things seem boring and dull. If you start talking with him, you only make him keener to bat well. Craig McMillian tried to show his sledging prowess on an Indian tour of New Zealand only to find out it doesnt work against Tendulkar.

The point is, only the weaker players mentally would be impacted by sledging. I do not like personal sledging. Its stupid to disrespect an opposition player to try and get him out by calling him names. If you want to talk about his technique etc, to get into his mind, that is fine with me.

But the players much be strong enough to concentrate on the tast at hand and not be effected by the trash talk.

[vic_orthdox]

Isnt there supposed to be the big thing about not sledging Brian Lara, otherwise you just make him more determined to make runs, e.g. Andy Bichel was playing for the Australia A team in a four day game against the touring Windies, and Lara seemed horribly out of form. Eventually, Bichel couldn't help himself and had a dig at him. A few overs later, Lara went: 4 4 4 4 4 4. Lesson learnt.

[Top_Cat]

Isnt there supposed to be the big thing about not sledging Brian Lara, otherwise you just make him more determined to make runs, e.g. Andy Bichel was playing for the Australia A team in a four day game against the touring Windies, and Lara seemed horribly out of form. Eventually, Bichel couldn't help himself and had a dig at him. A few overs later, Lara went: 4 4 4 4 4 4. Lesson learnt.

Years ago and probably more recently, this is true but I remember a time when it came out that Lara could be unsettled by verbals. Right after he got out to Zoe Goss in the OD game at the SCG, apparently verbals worked on him where they hadn't before. Now, it's probably back to what it was, though.

As for the current confrontation, well the game needed something. Watching the WI bat for 235 overs would surely have been some of the most boring cricket of all time. Even including Gayle's triple hundred.

[honestbharani]

Originally Posted by Top_Cat

Years ago and probably more recently, this is true but I remember a time when it came out that Lara could be unsettled by verbals. Right after he got out to Zoe Goss in the OD game at the SCG, apparently verbals worked on him where they hadn't before. Now, it's probably back to what it was, though.

As for the current confrontation, well the game needed something. Watching the WI bat for 235 overs would surely have been some of the most boring cricket of all time. Even including Gayle's triple hundred.

I think it must have been during his slump period, when he said stuff like "Cricket is ruining my life" etc.... He never played with too much responsibility during that period of about 18 months or so... And I still don't think he is as good as he was back then.......... But yeah, when he is focussed and committed as he is now, sledging him can only add on to your woes as a bowler.....

[Richard]

How many people who've posted on this subject actually watched this incident?
It was far from routine "mental-disintigration" sledging (not least because there was precisely nothing at stake at the end of a wholly pointless Test-match), and, as I say, prompted a blatant attempt by a bowler to bowl a delivery whose sole intent was to try and inflict physical harm.
Yes, normal verbals liven-up the game and make it more interesting - this most certainly did not.
So far as I've seen so far nothing else has come out about it - but inevitably the first thing that sprung to my mind - inevitably given that it involves a South African - was the possibility of racist comments. Wavell Hinds has always seemed to me to be an extremely laid-back guy, and I've never seen him come close to losing it like he did here, totally.
So please don't tell me, or anyone, that this incident was good for the game.

[Top_Cat]

Maybe not good for the game but certainly good for THIS game in terms of gladiator-style entertainment, particularly since the cricket had hardly been steller.

[Richard]

Is anything that is especially bad for the game at large ever good for an individual game?

[Craig]

Smith could probably create a confrontation in an empty room.

[Neil Pickup]

Originally Posted by Richard

Is anything that is especially bad for the game at large ever good for an individual game?

Hansie's leather jacket declaration gave that Centurion test a heck of a shot in the arm.

[Deja moo]

Originally Posted by Craig

Smith could probably create a confrontation in an empty room.

Can you blame him ? His shadow was asking for it !

[BoyBrumby]

Originally Posted by Neil Pickup

Hansie's leather jacket declaration gave that Centurion test a heck of a shot in the arm.

Actually, devil's advocate or not, in the context of that particular game in isolation that's very true. I remember Cronje being praised for it at the time and, obviously, he couldn't have done it without Hussain (innocent) collusion.

I guess the intention behind the declaration was the key there tho. I think the details of how little he sold SA cricket down the river for (a leather jacket?!?) made it seem pathetic more than anything else.

[roseboy64]

Hinds fined entire match fee

[Richard]

Originally Posted by Neil Pickup

Hansie's leather jacket declaration gave that Centurion test a heck of a shot in the arm.

Yet just because it was considered good at the time does not mean at all that it was good with the benefit of hindsight.
The actions might have been good for that Test; the actioner's motivation for them was certainly not good for either that match or The Game.

[Richard]

Originally Posted by Craig

Smith could probably create a confrontation in an empty room.

Exactly - he's a love-to-hate character virtually throughout The World by now.