Send-offs and Sledging

[FaaipDeOiad]

After Tea today in the Australia-Pakistan test, Aamer bowled a great spell in which he picked up a couple of wickets and bowled some pretty testing stuff at Watson, who didn't get out. During the spell he gave Watson the occasional golf clap, blew him kisses after bouncers, stopped in the middle of wicket to have a chat, that sort of thing.

I'd like to preface this by saying I don't have any issue with what Aamer did and I don't think he should be fined or anything, but I have a feeling that if he'd got Watson out with one of those deliveries and then blown him a kiss or made a few comments or whatever, he'd have been fined for misconduct.

Am I way off base here? Does anyone know if there's actually a specific set of rules governing what is acceptable conduct on the field in terms of what you can say to opposition players, and what constitutes a misconduct charge? More importantly, are the rules different depending on what exactly is happening in the game at that time? If you bowl a batsman and then sledge or mock him, is there any reason in the rules you should be fined for that, but not for doing it if you just hit him in the head?

Obviously any sort of physical contact, racial abuse etc are way out of line, but I've seen bowlers who have just dismissed a batsman fined for pointing them back to the pavilion or screaming and jumping around like a little girl as Watson did in Perth, while I think a lot of similar behavior would go unpunished if it came when a batsman hadn't just been dismissed, or if it came from a batsman who had just hit a bowler for four instead.

 

[Sir Alex]

I was looking for such a thread. What is sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander. Watson is lucky to be playing this test match. I have not seen what Aamir did in this test match but if it is a kissing remark, then it shouldn't be punished. He is just adhering to "Make love not war" theme. If Aamir is fined for a harmless gesture actually one that of love, tomorrow players could be fined for applauding opposition. Words are strict no no but I think the occassional stare is okay.

 

[Shri]

Depends on the nationality.

 

[BoyBrumby]

Haven't seen the particular incident, but generally I think the umpires and match referees look more forgivingly on sledging than send-offs because the former can be seen as part of the "mental disintegration" process SRW was so fond of; questioning a batsman's testicular fortitude, the fidelity of his partner or his parentage are obviously crude, but a case can be made that they're a genuine tactic. Send-offs, however, are just taking the piss and/or rubbing it in because the job's been done.

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

That's a reasonable point actually, about the relevance of the contest when the wicket is still there to be taken.

 

[vic_orthdox]

Yeah, I know that amongst most players that I come across, send-offs are seen a lot worse, it's like pissing on someone's grave. At least piss on them when they're still alive, so that they can sock you one for it.

 

[Migara]

Depends on the nationality.

Spot on!

 

[Jono]

Good question (please let's not let this get into a troll baiting and biting thread!) but I think Brumby and Jack have it.

Sending off a batsmen is perceived as mocking a player, and irrelevant to the contest.

 

[Shri]

My post was just a tongue in cheek comment ftr.

 

[Uppercut]

It's the difference between punching someone in round one of a boxing match and punching them when you've just knocked them out.

 

[Jamee999]

It's the difference between punching someone in round one of a boxing match and punching them when you've just knocked them out.

This isn't the perfect analogy though. In boxing, punching someone is the game. It's more like...well, insulting someone in round one, and insulting someone when they're knocked out.

 

[Migara]

My post was just a tongue in cheek comment ftr.

Didn't you think that I have done the exact same?

 

[Uppercut]

This isn't the perfect analogy though. In boxing, punching someone is the game. It's more like...well, insulting someone in round one, and insulting someone when they're knocked out.

Haha well personally I consider sledging part of the game. You insult someone while they're batting in order to get them out. Insulting them when you've already got them out is just gratuitous.

 

[Sir Alex]

There is no room for insult as long as you can do what you are paid to do. Anything above that is plain unwanted, Mental disintegration is overrated. Nobody thinks Bell is now what he is because of mental disintegration.

 

[Matt79]

I think it's the helplessness of the batsman in that circumstance. You sledge someone when they're still in, and its gamesmanship (provided no lines are crossed) and if they're good enough, they can retaliate legitimately with their batting - and guys like Lara, Viv and Steve Waugh showed that it was a tactic that could backfire badly. Once they're out, they have no recourse that doesn't land them in trouble.

That said, I think sometimes we're a bit too harsh on the send off. If its not accompanied by an abusive tirade and the bowler doesn't run the length of the pitch to do it right in the guy's face, I don't mind the occasional point towards the pavillion, or a short comment. Warne vs Hudson, Sreesanth vs Symonds and Watson vs Gayle is obviously taking that WAY WAY too far, but if you've been chatting while they're in, and the bloke's been chatting back, and maybe said something about your bowling, a "now who's laughing?", or "you didn't read that at all did you?" is alright imo, so long as its not all the time...

 

[wpdavid]

I think it's the helplessness of the batsman in that circumstance. You sledge someone when they're still in, and its gamesmanship (provided no lines are crossed) and if they're good enough, they can retaliate legitimately with their batting - and guys like Lara, Viv and Steve Waugh showed that it was a tactic that could backfire badly. Once they're out, they have no recourse that doesn't land them in trouble.

That said, I think sometimes we're a bit too harsh on the send off. If its not accompanied by an abusive tirade and the bowler doesn't run the length of the pitch to do it right in the guy's face, I don't mind the occasional point towards the pavillion, or a short comment. Warne vs Hudson, Sreesanth vs Symonds and Watson vs Gayle is obviously taking that WAY WAY too far, but if you've been chatting while they're in, and the bloke's been chatting back, and maybe said something about your bowling, a "now who's laughing?", or "you didn't read that at all did you?" is alright imo, so long as its not all the time...

There are a few exceptions - Merv Hughes' 'tickets please' ripost to Javed Miandad's endless 'bus conductor' jibes springs to mind - but most of the time it's simply gratuitous. I'd have been happy to see Gayle reinstated after Watson's pathetic posturing the other day.

 

[ozone]

There are a few exceptions - Merv Hughes' 'tickets please' ripost to Javed Miandad's endless 'bus conductor' jibes springs to mind - but most of the time it's simply gratuitous. I'd have been happy to see Gayle reinstated after Watson's pathetic posturing the other day.

Agree with this, sometimes the bowler is goaded by the batsman to the point where it becomes only natural to say/do something if they dismiss them. In fact, I believe that Gayle was trying to rile Watson in the week before the game last week, so if Watson had pointed to the pavillion and had a couple of words, I don't really see that there would have been a problem. However, given that he behaved like a 7 year old high on sugar, he is fairly indefensible.

 

[Sanz]

I couldn't care less what the bowler does when the batsman is out, It doesn't mean anything to the batsman or his team's chances. All it shows that the bowler is making a fool out of himself and hurting his own reputation in front of the whole world. But I have a problem if the bowler tries to unsettle the batsmen with verbal abuse or sledging, because it hurts the his team's chances.

I would prefer that the bowlers gave more send-offs and looked bigger fools than sledging or verbal abuse in a match.

 

[Son Of Coco]

That said, I think sometimes we're a bit too harsh on the send off. If its not accompanied by an abusive tirade and the bowler doesn't run the length of the pitch to do it right in the guy's face, I don't mind the occasional point towards the pavillion, or a short comment. Warne vs Hudson, Sreesanth vs Symonds and Watson vs Gayle is obviously taking that WAY WAY too far, but if you've been chatting while they're in, and the bloke's been chatting back, and maybe said something about your bowling, a "now who's laughing?", or "you didn't read that at all did you?" is alright imo, so long as its not all the time...

Yeah I agree, it depends on the situation. If the batsman's been a total **** while he's been in the middle and he cops it when he gets out that's fine. As long as it's not over the top. I've had guys want to talk it up when they're at the non-strikers end, asking me why I can't hit the stumps when they've been playing and missing outside off for 3 overs etc etc Even had a guy talking to me while I was running in to bowl.

In these cases I think a few choice words when they get out is almost a certainty. Although sledging a bowler, whether he's batting or bowling, ranks up there with one of the stupidest things you can do as far as I'm concerned. It's almost guaranteed he'll bowl better and be trying to hurt you.

EDIT: Dammit, Merv Hughes 'tickets please' has already been mentioned!

If they're going to be that funny though then I think it should be encouraged if anything.

 

[turnstyle]

Am i the only person in the world that loves seeing a good sledge and send-off?

Even in club cricket i think it has a place. For my last 4-5 years playing cricket in WA, i was the night watchman so you could imagine the amount of **** i took in those last overs of the day. Not once did i think it was out of line, if anything, it made me feel even better when i saw out the day. When it was their turn to bat, i always made sure there was a little bit for them as well.

Maybe it's the 20 years of playing in Australia that's hardened me up. The very first thing i've noticed about cricket in the U.K is that it's totally unacceptable for even a friendly 'banter' sledge, which i think made the games feel like they were missing something. I even encouraged the keeper to have a dig when i mistimed one and he didn't.

Of course there is a line when it just becomes crude and pointless, but i really think if it's all in context there definitely is a place for it.