"Sledging" and Youth Cricket

[SJS]

Shouldn't be any of it, imo. I'm Pres of a local cricket club and it's a blight on the game and should be punished in junior ranks. Our associaiton has brought in a rule in juniors and seniors of zero tolerance for bad behaviour including sledging (it is policed with common sense though - the umpires tell the captain that their player is going too far and the captain has the option to do something about it). If the player goes on with it they are reported, and here's the good bit - if the player is suspended, so is the captain and the team loses 5 competition points.
It's an attempt to stop what happened a few years ago when, in the middle of a heated argument, one fielder ripped out a stump and tried to stab the batsman with it. He got a life ban, although he may still open the bowling for the Long Bay Gaol XI.
The solution is simple - tell the kid to shut up, and if he won't make him run from fine leg to fine leg for the rest of the day and see how he likes it.

Superb

 

[honestbharani]

I agree with Burgey on this. There just shouldn't be any sledging at all at that level because they won't know where to draw the line. As you get older and stuff, you sorta get to understand what is ok and what isn't, but to allow them a free hand at that young age is just asking for trouble. My school matches nowadays seem like gangwars at times. I even had a meeting with the tournament director about it last weekend.

 

[Goughy]

I used to sledge hard. Sometimes witty and sometimes plain aggressive vulgarity. I look back now and Im embarrassed for myself and for my teammates that had to play with me.

As a Junior fast bowler I felt it was part of the personna and unless I sledged hard I wasnt trying. Now I realise I was just a clown.

Sledging is ok if there is a purpose to it, ie to try and break concentration or amuse the fielding team. But still only in small doses and nothing outright aggressive.

I used to do all sorts of things like threaten to **** guys up in the car park afterwards and try and get them pissing their pants. At the end of the day you only make yourself look bad and is a few extra wickets worth sacrificing your integrity? As Ive got older the obvious answer is No!

Now, as I umpire I stamp out on sledging early. Ill let a comment go maybe once but by the 2nd or 3rd Ill tell the fielder or bowler that it is unacceptable and that they are acting in a manner that shows them up.

I guess poacher turned gamekeeper. Sledging never affected me as a player basically because 95% of it is rubbish and pointless. Get that element out of the game IMO.

 

[Richard]

See what the likes of Kev and Cam are on here, TBH - that's a feeling I've had all my career, I'm never, ever comfortable with any big words. I'll take the very occasional disbelieving stare down the pitch if a batsman's played and missed 3 times in a row, Nella-style, but even that's only very occasional.

I've always been the shy and introspective type, so it just comes naturally with the character.

Can't imagine hbh, for instance, sledging too much either.

 

[age_master]

I wouldn't want anyone sledging before u/16's. I have no major obection to it though, as long as its clean.

 

[The Baconator]

My club generally frowns upon it, if anyone does much the umpires are usually very quick on it. I do like to slip in the odd quip though, but nothing insulting or anything.

 

[Neil Pickup]

Interesting to read. Next question for y'all is whether you would class the following as sledging or not:

A) Come on, let's get him out
B) Come on, let's get him out, he's been in too long
C) Let's give those bails a flying lesson
D) Come on, give me a catch, right here, right into my hands
E) Ooh, well bowled, he doesn't like them there
F) Like a packet of polos, all edge no middle
G) Come on boys, he doesn't like that, he probably doesn't like rice pudding either

 

[Isolator]

No.

 

[vic_orthdox]

Interesting to read. Next question for y'all is whether you would class the following as sledging or not:

A) Come on, let's get him out
B) Come on, let's get him out, he's been in too long
C) Let's give those bails a flying lesson
D) Come on, give me a catch, right here, right into my hands
E) Ooh, well bowled, he doesn't like them there
F) Like a packet of polos, all edge no middle
G) Come on boys, he doesn't like that, he probably doesn't like rice pudding either

None of them.

However, I shall have to borrow G) from you.

 

[vic_orthdox]

Sledging is ok if there is a purpose to it, ie to try and break concentration or amuse the fielding team. But still only in small doses and nothing outright aggressive.

Basically my thoughts on it. Usually I'm just taking the mickey when I'm talking towards the batsman.

E.g. When a bloke who I'd played a fair bit against came down the wicket and hit me over my head, I knew it wasn't his natural game. He also wasn't to the pitch of the ball. I let him know that, pointing out that I was closer to the pitch of the ball than he was.

Ended up getting him out a couple of balls later. But generally, that's the sort of thing that I constitute as "my" sledging.

I know a few guys who have been over to England, and as soon as they come out to bat they cop it just because they're Australian, and the English guys see it as "getting in first before he has a crack at us".

 

[Langeveldt]

If I was a coach, I'd ban it from my team altogether.. Nothing more than the prick you like like when you give the batsman an earful and he spanks you for four..

I'd love to see a team confront Kevin Pietersen with absolute silence.. No banter, no encouragement from the bowler, just steely silence and some damn good bowling.. I think that would freak him out..

I personally don't find any form of sledging acceptable in the slightest, but obviously you cant ban chat or anything from the game totally..

 

[silentstriker]

A) Come on, let's get him out

No, that's just encouraging the bowler.

B) Come on, let's get him out, he's been in too long

No, see above.

C) Let's give those bails a flying lesson

No.

D) Come on, give me a catch, right here, right into my hands

Maybe, since it's directed at the batsman, unlike the other three. But about as mild as you can get.


E) Ooh, well bowled, he doesn't like them there

No

F) Like a packet of polos, all edge no middle

No


G) Come on boys, he doesn't like that, he probably doesn't like rice pudding either

No

 

[open365]

It depends how agreesive it is tbh.

At a junior level i think anything that can't be said with a smile/slight snigger on your face shouldn't be allowed, it's ok to jibe and make vauge comments about the batsman having less shots than a whiskey glass, but if it gets over that it starts taking the fun out of the game for all concerned and should be stopped.

It's ok if you know the person you're sledging as well as they'll be able to take it in the right manner and imo it has a positive effect when there's friendly banter between the sides as long as it's taken in the right spirit.

 

[chris.hinton]

Sledging would be fun in Kids cricket

 

[adharcric]

Interesting to read. Next question for y'all is whether you would class the following as sledging or not:

Regardless of whether these are sledging, they are all appopriate. My "sledging" doesn't really go far beyond that tbh.

 

[silentstriker]

Regardless of whether these are sledging, they are all appopriate. My "sledging" doesn't really go far beyond that tbh.

You must be a pretty ****ty sledger then.

 

[Turbinator]

You must be a pretty ****ty sledger then.

Pshhh what more do you expect, it's American cricket .

 

[adharcric]

You must be a pretty ****ty sledger then.

How would you define a "good sledger"? Yes, I don't make stupid remarks about family or race ...

 

[Richard]

Good sledger. Bad sledger. Bad sledger Mark 2.

 

[Trigger_Tiger]

.....

Sledging would be fun in Kids cricket

Something to the extent of:

"You poopey head!" ?????