BCCI to ask for ban on sledging

[Lillian Thomson]

Nothing wrong with sledging, it what makes cricket such a great game.

 

[Richard]

Regarding the topic at hand, Goughy's posts are a decent representation of my thoughts on the matter.

I always said you two were similar.

 

[silentstriker]

It would certainly make cricket unique if you were banned from talking to the opposition. Can't think of another team sport with that rule.

Would certainly reinforce the notion that cricketers are wimps if we have rules about what opposition is allowed to say to each other.

Regarding the topic at hand, Goughy's posts are a decent representation of my thoughts on the matter.

Except in the NFL, if you say something that the other person doesn't like, you can blow their knees out the next play, so there is a strong incentive not to go too far. And golf is a sport that has very little talk. I haven't heard Tiger ragging on Mickelson's mother.

If we legalize fighting on the cricket field, like ice hockey, then it would work. Otherwise, its pretty much the sign of a wimp to talk trash when you know he won't come after you.

 

[Flem274*]

Except in the NFL, if you say something that the other person doesn't like, you can blow their knees out the next play, so there is a strong incentive not to go too far. And golf is a sport that has very little talk. I haven't heard Tiger ragging on Mickelson's mother.

If we legalize fighting on the cricket field, like ice hockey, then it would work. Otherwise, its pretty much the sign of a wimp to talk trash when you know he won't come after you.

Now that I would watch. How many fights would Nel get into in one season? I'm picking two a match.

 

[silentstriker]

Now that I would watch. How many fights would Nel get into in one season? I'm picking two a match.

Two an over would be a better estimate tbh.

 

[jeevan]

Good move and seems like it is being properly done by BCCI.

There are already laws governing what players can do or say, so
it is not like such regulation has no precedent. This merely extends
such regulation, and IMHO in a more sensible and more enforcable
way than what we have now. This is truly an area to strengthen the
umpires hand, there is no danger of on-field officials becoming
automatons.

And the fact that it cannot be 100% enforced (like any other law
anywhere) does not make it a bad idea, in itself.

 

[dontcloseyoureyes]

 

[Jono]

I disagree with the BCCI's stance.

 

[Top_Cat]

Except in the NFL, if you say something that the other person doesn't like, you can blow their knees out the next play, so there is a strong incentive not to go too far. And golf is a sport that has very little talk. I haven't heard Tiger ragging on Mickelson's mother.

Cricket would be the same if quicks weren't restricted in bowling bouncers, though. A bowler might sledge a batsman but if he knew that the opposition's quicks could bounce a few off his helmet, he might tone it down. I don't remember Gordon Greenidge or Dessie Haynes getting too many words coming at them.

As for golf, we'll let's just say it's not exactly a sport to inflame the passions. I still can't think of it as a sport. It's more like a televised past-time.

If we legalize fighting on the cricket field, like ice hockey, then it would work. Otherwise, its pretty much the sign of a wimp to talk trash when you know he won't come after you.

You mean if he *can't* come after you? If someone chooses not to come after you, different story but if you give stick when you know the rules prevent your opposition from doing anything about it, then yeah that's pretty low. Still, I've always said that the best way to shut up an errant batsman is to get him out so I always just concentrated my efforts there.

 

[masterblaster]

How can you possibly ban sledging and then police it. Pretty ridiculous of BCCI to go out there and propose this. No sport should be robotic. A little bit is fine, but I agree with most that it shouldn't got over the top or become personal.

 

[Cevno]

I think talking to each other and calling the opposition personal things should be outlawed but
Players of one team should be allowed to talk about the playing aspects of the game.for eg cmon warnie he is in cannot score a run at the moment ,let's get him.
There is nothing personal there and nothing to get upset about.But if a bowler balls a ball and a batsmen leaves it alone and the bowler goes to him and calls him not man enough to play the ball or a sissy that is personal.

 

[Cevno]

Cricket would be the same if quicks weren't restricted in bowling bouncers, though. A bowler might sledge a batsman but if he knew that the opposition's quicks could bounce a few off his helmet, he might tone it down. I don't remember Gordon Greenidge or Dessie Haynes getting too many words coming at them.

As for golf, we'll let's just say it's not exactly a sport to inflame the passions. I still can't think of it as a sport. It's more like a televised past-time.

West indian batsmen got all sorts of abuse from english and australians in the 80's which has been confirmed by garry sobers and larry rowe .But they themselves believed in answering by the bat and ball.
The problem there was that because they were more tolerant to these kinds of things they used to kop more then someone who goes to complain every time or gives it back.That is the problem i have with sledging the most.The ones who do not want to get into it get it anyways and because they tolerate it becomes unfair to them.

You mean if he *can't* come after you? If someone chooses not to come after you, different story but if you give stick when you know the rules prevent your opposition from doing anything about it, then yeah that's pretty low. Still, I've always said that the best way to shut up an errant batsman is to get him out so I always just concentrated my efforts there

.

So you mean symonds went too low?
He went and abused harbhajan first and then when harbhajan replied by allegedly calling him a monkey he tried to take refuge behind a rule.

 

[chaminda_00]

There is clear difference between general banter and an out and out personal attack on another player. Personally I think the latter has no place in the game. The sooner that type of sledging gets banned from the game the better. Unless there is ban on sleadging that aspect of that game will never be taken out.

The thing many people forget is sledging isn't part of the game in a lot of countries. I doubt you will hear any sledging at all in FC game in Sri Lanka. I hate stupid arguement you hear from the former Australian player, "its part of game." It is not part of game in most countries, just cus thats the way you like to play your cricket, doesn't mean that is the way it is meant to be played.

 

[Cevno]

A blanket ban is just dumb. Firstly in most sports there is verbal interaction between players and it is part of the mind games. Secondly, it would be difficult to enforce and thirdly there is the language issue. Will it only be English that is outlawed? Will cursing and talking in Afrikaans or any other language be permitted? Will umpires have to be multi-lingual or will interpreters be there listening to all the stump mics? There are logistical nightmares. Fourthly and finally, something like sledging is impossible to define with any clarity.

Except probaly Ameriacan sports ther are not many sports where personal abuse and foul mouthedness is allowed.Even in soccer using foul mouthed language and swearing is not allowed but the referees in some countries take a liberal view of it.And besides like golf cricket is supposed to be the "gentleman's game"
As for language being a barrier,If you are talking to the opposition batsmen or bowler and abusing him in your own language then the batsmen would not understand it anyways .And still if the batsmen feels he is being called something abusive later on he can always report it to the umpires and it can be translated with the stump mike or video reference.
I think the proposal is to ban direct talking with the opposition and saying personal things about he batsmen or his family(like how is lara in bed).

There is no doubt that sledging can go too far and can be overly vulgar and insulting. However, Id far rather it be left upto the Umpires on the field to assess and evaluate the situation and comments. Just like they are left to evaluate Dangerous and unfair bowling
(Bowling of fast short pitched balls).

To me a blanket ban is like a complete ban on bouncers. Left unchecked the situation can be nasty and wrong but outright banning them takes an important part of the mental aspect of the game away.

The problem there is that the onfield umpires may regard what is sledging in relative terms
and may have different intepretation of what is offensive and what is not depending on different cultures they come from and they cannot be given list of words or pharses which are permissible and which are not by the icc.
But in the case of bouncers they know it is their job to call a ball over head height a wide ball whether they like it or not.whether they believe it is dangerous or not.
Same is the case for beamers whether it was deliberate or not.So here we have a set standard for umpires to mantain but how can you set a standard to ascertain what is racist or what is personal abuse.

Like the repetition and danger outlined in the laws for Umpires to interpret for bouncers I would be happy to see a similar framework applied to sledging.

I stand by my orignal sentiments on a full ban. Though Im not opposed to rules being in place to prevent it rampaging unchecked.

The 1964 Justice Potter Stewarts quote over defining what is obscene is relevant here. "I shall not today attempt further to define the kinds of material I understand to be embraced . . . but I know it when I see it"

Context, intent and content are all important in evaluating what should be outlawed in cricket and umpires on the field are best placed to make that decision.

Again a grey area in this is the different cultural history of umpires.
For eg a indian umpire may ban a australian for using the term "bastard" and an australian umpire may find it not a big deal.And it maybe other way round for calling someone a "monkey or a girrafe".
Justice potter stewarts interpretation on what is obscene on some icident may not be agreed by say foe instance justice ak sinha,Justice cs quereshi or justice nkala as they may have different semantic and psychological interpretation of words.

 

[Cevno]

There is clear difference between general banter and an out and out personal attack on another player. Personally I think the latter has no place in the game. The sooner that type of sledging gets banned from the game the better. Unless there is ban on sleadging that aspect of that game will never be taken out.

The thing many people forget is sledging isn't part of the game in a lot of countries. I doubt you will hear any sledging at all in FC game in Sri Lanka. I hate stupid arguement you hear from the former Australian player, "its part of game." It is not part of game in most countries, just cus thats the way you like to play your cricket, doesn't mean that is the way it is meant to be played.

Absolutely agree with this.

 

[SJS]

There is clear difference between general banter and an out and out personal attack on another player. Personally I think the latter has no place in the game. The sooner that type of sledging gets banned from the game the better. Unless there is ban on sleadging that aspect of that game will never be taken out.

The thing many people forget is sledging isn't part of the game in a lot of countries. I doubt you will hear any sledging at all in FC game in Sri Lanka. I hate stupid arguement you hear from the former Australian player, "its part of game." It is not part of game in most countries, just cus thats the way you like to play your cricket, doesn't mean that is the way it is meant to be played.

 

[vic_orthdox]

Completely agree with everything Goughy has said.

 

[luckyeddie]

The duck will have something to say about this, I'm sure.

 

[Flem274*]

BCCI ask for a ban on sledging: Who cares? I certainly don't. Its all a load of hot air and a complete ban is completely ludicrous, unenforcible, and will kill the game. TBH if someone says you suck and you can't handle it then you do suck, now go join the rebel league.

 

[chaminda_00]

BCCI ask for a ban on sledging: Who cares? I certainly don't. Its all a load of hot air and a complete ban is completely ludicrous, unenforcible, and will kill the game. TBH if someone says you suck and you can't handle it then you do suck, now go join the rebel league.

Is that what happened to Bond, the NZ rugby fans called him soft, so he joined the rebel league?