BCCI to ask for ban on sledging

[Sanz]

As I've argued elsewhere, ban abuse, not sledging.

Yes true but I think in today's world players have forgotten the art of sledging. They think that sledging means hurling personal/racial insults at the opposition. And unless players understand the difference between sledging and abuse, it should be banned.

 

[social]

Yes true but I think in today's world players have forgotten the art of sledging. They think that sledging means hurling personal/racial insults at the opposition. And unless players understand the difference between sledging and abuse, it should be banned.

In "today's world" is where the problem lies - it's hasnt been any different for the last 30+ years and has probably improved if anything

 

[Sanz]

In "today's world" is where the problem lies - it's hasnt been any different for the last 30+ years and has probably improved if anything

You are not the only one who has watched cricket for last 30 years.

Even if you were right, in today's world it is much more visible and audible because of the technology and because of all that media coverage and attention.

 

[social]

You are not the only one who has watched cricket for last 30 years.

Even if you were right, in today's world it is much more visible and audible because of the technology and because of all that media coverage and attention.[/QUOT

Simple - turn the stump mikes off and let the umpires control what happens in the middle

Turning the mikes off has happened quite a few times in the past so it is hardly a revolutionary idea whilst you never saw matches get out of control whilst strong umpires like Dickie Bird were in control

The alternative is unworkable and also represents a fundamental change to the way the game is played e.g. bowler beats bat and calls batsman a @@@#$# lucky bastard (as has happened 10,000s of times all over the world). For that, he could conceivably be penalised. What a joke!

 

[Goughy]

The alternative is unworkable and also represents a fundamental change to the way the game is played e.g. bowler beats bat and calls batsman a @@@#$# lucky bastard (as has happened 10,000s of times all over the world). For that, he could conceivably be penalised. What a joke!

Yeah. Bowing fast hurts like a mother****er. You have to get into a mindset that allows you to put the 100% effort needed and deal with the stresses and pain.

Its impossible to expect a furstrated quick not to have the occassional outburst at a lucky batsman.

Something like that is very different from the systematic abuse of an opponent but I guess still falls into the sledging category. Impossible to ban as they are spur of the moment comments and are a product of the toil a quick puts in.

 

[silentstriker]

Simple - turn the stump mikes off and let the umpires control what happens in the middle

I say you make them loud so nothing escapes. If you are saying something that you'll be embarrassed by or people can be offended by, you shouldn't say it.

Yeah. Bowing fast hurts like a mother****er. You have to get into a mindset that allows you to put the 100% effort needed and deal with the stresses and pain.

Its impossible to expect a furstrated quick not to have the occassional outburst at a lucky batsman.

Why? Fast bowlers have done it before. Some great ones too. Just because they can't control themselves lately, doesn't mean you shouldn't expect them to. I don't buy that these poor multi millionaire fast bowlers can't shut the hell up and just bowl. There is no physical compulsion to talk. It's a social and cultural thing that has trained them to say stuff because they know they'll get away with it.

 

[Goughy]

Just because they can't control themselves lately, doesn't mean you shouldn't expect them to. I don't buy that these poor multi millionaire fast bowlers can't shut the hell up and just bowl. There is no physical compulsion to talk. It's a social and cultural thing that has trained them to say stuff because they know they'll get away with it.

What makes you think its purely a current thing?

Many fast bowlers have to get into 'character' to be effective. There has to be a nastiness that doesnt exist in everyday life. On a cricket field a quick has to push his body to the limits of pain and look to try and seriously injure the opposition given the opportunity with bouncers.

Its different from everyday life, a quick has to be willing to do intentional physical damage to a batman with bouncers. That nastiness and aggression cant be turned off at will and the occasional comment and snarl is often part of what is needed to become such a violent tool so different from how they are outside the game.

Not all quicks are the same. Some do do it quietly but throughout history a number of quick bowlers need to develop a different aggressive mind set to deal with the exertion, pain and the fact you could kill someone.

If someone wants to complain that a fast bowler calls them a "lucky ****er" after edging a ball through slips then they should be playing cricket with a tennis ball in the back garden with Mommy, Daddy and Aunt Rose keeping wicket.

 

[chaminda_00]

If someone wants to complain that a fast bowler calls them a "lucky ****er" after edging a ball through slips then they should be playing cricket with a tennis ball in the back garden with Mommy, Daddy and Aunt Rose keeping wicket.

The problem is that its very rare that is the only thing that is said. It usually followed by a few more comments that aren't required. If that all they said, then there wouldn't be a problem.

Also I seriously doubt this problem has only just started occuring. It has just become more mainstream, but I'm sure it has veen quite frequent for a long time.

 

[silentstriker]

What makes you think its purely a current thing?

I didn't say it was a current thing - I said people have done it without resorting to verbal abuse in the past, and that its a cultural and social thing amongst fast bowlers.

If someone wants to complain that a fast bowler calls them a "lucky ****er" after edging a ball through slips then they should be playing cricket with a tennis ball in the back garden with Mommy, Daddy and Aunt Rose keeping wicket.

The reason people are fed up with it is because a lot more is said

 

[Engle]

Fast (or any) bowler should’nt be saying anything to the batsman. He’s there to bowl, not to yap. Once he says something, that’s the beginning of a confrontation.

I recall a match where a particularly nasty fast bowler let loose some choice ‘ F ’ words at me for no good reason. Being of large size and not ready to back down, I responded in kind and walked down to engage in a physical confrontation.
Smaller batsmen may not have this option against a burly fastie.

Test cricketers should be the role models for the youth. If they’re allowed to get away with this kind of language, that sets the tone for lower grades to follow suit. As if they haven’t got the message yet, when a fight breaks out internationally, perhaps only then they will.

And to those who say it’s not enforceable, I say bollocks.
Far greater challenges have been enforced than this.

 

[PhoenixFire]

I hope it goes through as well.

There is too much crap in the game of cricket atm, get rid of sledging and the game would be so much better.

 

[Richard]

Many fast bowlers have to get into 'character' to be effective. There has to be a nastiness that doesnt exist in everyday life. On a cricket field a quick has to push his body to the limits of pain and look to try and seriously injure the opposition given the opportunity with bouncers.

Its different from everyday life, a quick has to be willing to do intentional physical damage to a batman with bouncers. That nastiness and aggression cant be turned off at will and the occasional comment and snarl is often part of what is needed to become such a violent tool so different from how they are outside the game.

Not all quicks are the same. Some do do it quietly but throughout history a number of quick bowlers need to develop a different aggressive mind set to deal with the exertion, pain and the fact you could kill someone.

What you say is undoubtedly true. The odd comment can indeed make a bowler bowl better. What I say is: why should they be allowed it? Why not challenge them to do the job without saying anything directed at the batsman?

If some can do it quietly, I think it's fair to say others can do so, if neccessary by being forced.

 

[Somerset]

Seems a strange ban to consider IMO. Sledging is part of cricket and I think it always will be. To ban it would effectively ban all chat as what consistutes a sledge is open for interpretation - and banning that over a five day match would certainly make test cricket for the players a lot less interesting.

 

[Top_Cat]

And to those who say it’s not enforceable, I say bollocks.
Far greater challenges have been enforced than this.

Example?

What you say is undoubtedly true. The odd comment can indeed make a bowler bowl better. What I say is: why should they be allowed it? Why not challenge them to do the job without saying anything directed at the batsman?

Because these people are emotional, not automatons. People get happy, sad, pissed off, annoyed, angry, frustrated, ecstatic, etc. Especially on the field play at a reasonably high level. It's incredible that so many people expect cricketers to be so passionate about the game that they're told they shouldn't make a career choice by playing IPL and should only play for their country yet we should also ask cricketers to not show passion when it manifests itself negatively? Sure, go nuts when you take a wicket or score a hundred but keep your trap shut if something bad happens to you? Come on.

Take the good with the bad; cricket isn't just a metaphor for life for these people, it is their lives. Everyone gets angry/frustrated/etc.in real life but we're afforded the grace of being able to express it in private. Sure you could argue that cricketers should only do so in private too but in the heat of the moment, stuff happens, tensions are inflamed, stuff gets said. It's a highly competitive environment with quite vicious performance pressure and people snap. As Goughy said too, being a quick bowler is bloody painful and if some bloke gets a plumb LBW go his way after you've spent half-an-hour setting him up for the off-cutter, you're going to be upset.

Anyway, forgetting the ethical consideration, it's psychologically unhealthy to bottle stuff up and causes more violent reactions when your emotional bucket is overflows. Banning players from saying anything rids the environment of a tension relief valve; if players can say the odd word to each other, the chance of a huge blow-up is lessened. You watch; if sledging were to be outright banned, the tension on-field would increase markedly and we'll see a physically violent confrontation. We already see the same in real life.

 

[Richard]

While the bottling-up of emotion is undoubtedly bad, most of the time in fact, there are many cases of people being expected to do it. The point is, is the alternative worse? I think it possibly is, and the SCG fallout demonstrates as much.

 

[Top_Cat]

While the bottling-up of emotion is undoubtedly bad, most of the time in fact, there are many cases of people being expected to do it. The point is, is the alternative worse? I think it possibly is, and the SCG fallout demonstrates as much.

I would argue that the SCG was one of the products of bottling up, not the alternative as such; cricketers have been told to do so for many years. That there was a blow-up, in my view.

 

[Lillian Thomson]

Any sledgers should just follow what John McEnroe did at Wimbledon in 1981 during a row with the umpire. He called him a "disgrace to mankind" and when the umpire warned him he claimed to be talking about himself.

 

[Top_Cat]

Any sledgers should just follow what John McEnroe did at Wimbledon in 1981 during a row with the umpire. He called him a "disgrace to mankind" and when the umpire warned him he claimed to be talking about himself.

That brings up a very valid point and yet another reason why picking up on sledging is difficult; I personally have bowled balls where they've been wide long-hops which have been edged over slip but I've said "Oh, you idiot/tosser/[expletive]!" referring to me for bowling such a crap ball. Would I get in trouble because the umpire thought I aimed it at the batsman?

 

[MoxPearl]

whats with all the PC crap in this thread ????

Is it a cultural thing or something ??

Some of you (and cricket players) really need to harden up ....

 

[silentstriker]

whats with all the PC crap in this thread ????

Is it a cultural thing or something ??

Some of you (and cricket players) really need to harden up ....

I don't see insulting your family and expecting not to get pummeled in the face something to get excited about.