The beginning of the end for sledging?

[shortpitched713]

What's next? Ban the phrases 'bugger,' 'damn' and 'Jesus Christ?'

If they're being directed at the opponent in a way that might be deemed offensive, then yes censure of these words in that context would be appropriate. Simply the tactic of "mental disintegration" really at its core is an unsporting one, as it seeks to use "banter" or what really amounts to abuse as a tool against ones opponent aside from actual skill at the game. Once this is realized and dealt with accordingly by the authorities, there really won't be any reason for teams to engage in objectionable discourse with their opponents. Finally, the umpires can obviously use their discretion as to what actually is sledging. Of course enforcement of any punishments for objectionable discourse will be at the discretion of the match referee. I'm pretty sure there won't be any bans for "he looked at me funny" or "that handshake was a little too firm".

 

[shortpitched713]

You never 'sledge' your family?

"Sledging" family, especially ones elders is the surest route to a swift backhand in a subcontinental family.

 

[silentstriker]

If I had to be honest, I found his inference that we were afraid to bowl at him, that he was entitled to still be batting and that he didn't want to recognise the seriousness of my team-mate's injury far more offensive than any swearing he used.

That's fine for you though. That's the point, innit? You can't guess what's offensive to other players. What's fair and fun on an Australian pitch is not the same as whats fair and fun on a West Indies one, or an Indian one.

 

[shortpitched713]

I tell a lie, I have sledged one bloke before. In a OD game, he nicked one behind off me (bigger than Andy Symonds' nick) and was deemed not out. Only on about 10 at the time, was the culmination of a plan I'd been working on and thought it had worked. Ah well, too bad so sad. I finish my spell and he proceeds to belt the living daylights out of the rest of the bowlers. I come back on when he's about 120 not with a few overs to go.

He hits one off me to the sweeper in the off-side hard and the sweeper stops the boundary but spilts the webbing in his hand doing it. He's on the ground holding his hand for a while as team mates come up to assist. Batsman says "Come on guys, get on with the game. What's the matter, afraid to bowl at me?" I say "Don't get ****y, you shouldn't still be out here. Besides, he's really hurt himself" He swears a few times at me and I proceed to bounce the living crap out of him for the rest of my spell.

Who do you punish and who stepped over the line? The way I saw it, I was just bringing a wanker back into line.

If I were match referee that would be the only thing that I would punish.

 

[Top_Cat]

That's fine for you though. That's the point, innit? You can't guess what's offensive to other players. What's fair and fun on an Australian pitch is not the same as whats fair and fun on a West Indies one, or an Indian one.

Of course and indeed it is the point. Not arguing against it. What I'm saying is attempting to ban that stuff simply won't work. If there is a dispute alone the lines of "He said something offensive!" "No I didn't! He's just over-sensitive and it's fine in my country!", as a cultural dispute often goes, particularly because of the cultural complexities involved, let it be dealt with off the field with the appropriate cultural consultants in attendance and the charge dealt with on its merits. Blanket banning everything is a total cop-out. That's my opinion but even that opinion is irrelevant to whether it'll work or not which, as I said, it won't.

 

[shortpitched713]

Blanket banning everything is a total cop-out.

Hmm... so far the only things I hear people in favor of blanket banning are curse words and racist remarks. Anyway its not all that hard to tell when someone is being abusive or not, and that unenviable task will go to the match referee along with the assignment of the severity of the subsequent punishment for the abuse.

Really, I think thats the only common sense way for things to be done. Would not get rid of what some are hailing as "good banter" while at the same time eliminating many of the unsavory elements that exist in our sport today.

 

[NZTailender]

Of course and indeed it is the point. Not arguing against it. What I'm saying is attempting to ban that stuff simply won't work. If there is a dispute alone the lines of "He said something offensive!" "No I didn't! He's just over-sensitive and it's fine in my country!", as a cultural dispute often goes, particularly because of the cultural complexities involved, let it be dealt with off the field with the appropriate cultural consultants in attendance and the charge dealt with on its merits. Blanket banning everything is a total cop-out. That's my opinion but even that opinion is irrelevant to whether it'll work or not which, as I said, it won't.

Which is why each particular sledging incident should be dealt with on it's own, tbh.

Let's put it this way - sledging is just another bullying tactic.

While there are obviously some difference from the schoolyard, it's seems it's nearly the same. Australia is saying "yeah but it's not offensive to us. They should just harden up."

Now a boy in primary school is picked on by someone older. The young boy gets up the courage to tell a teacher. In the bully's defence he says "he (the child) should just toughen up." Is that right? No, of course it isn't.

Australia is being a bully. So is New Zealand. So is South Africa. So is Pakistan - anyone who sledges is being a bully. It's cowardly, really, and lacks real imagination.


Or another way to look at it. You work in an office. The guy or girl in the next cubicle launches a torrent of abuse at you. perhaps you can just ignore. Maybe one of your co-workers can't. Is that acceptable? It isn't.

Basically, you can't generalise and tar everyone with the same brush. Some people can take sledging, some people can't. Some people banter, some people sledge - there's a difference.

Each situation should be reviewed on it's own - like I said before.

 

[social]

Put me into the anti- column; don't think sledging can or should be banned. If something is said on-field that is offensive, let the onus be on the person offended to report it then deal with it as per the process. For the record I've never sledged anyone in my life (I preferred the Jeff Thomson approach of not saying anything to keep the batsman guessing whether I was mad a them) but real life is not sledge-free, neither should be sport.

It's moot anyway. Impossible to actually ban or Police correctly.

Jeff Thomson didnt say much, but when he did it was apparently very, very ugly

 

[LongHopCassidy]

If the pot calls the kettle black, is it being racist too?

 

[NZTailender]

One thing I didn't cover on is emotion. Obviously when tension is running high and people get worked up after a long day in the sun, **** is going to fly. No excuses, but it makes the bannign of sledging all the harder. Especially if it's unintentional.

 

[a10khan]

no, sledging wont end and it shouldn't! its almost half the fun!

u know what, if the referees were competent and balanced enough, none of these problems would exist.

 

[NZTailender]

no, sledging wont end and it shouldn't! its almost half the fun!

u know what, if the referees were competent and balanced enough, none of these problems would exist.

No, banter is fun. Sledging is unimaginative and stupid.

 

[LongHopCassidy]

With all this in mind, it's hard to conceive the Spirit of Cricket charter being amended with different subheadings of 'sledging' and 'banter'. As far as quantitative evidence at a match tribunal goes, they're all one and the same because cultural differences are going to be exploited by teams pressing their respective cases - specifically, their pontificating on what's offensive and what's not. Ergo, the line between sledging and banter will always be blurred for my money, and it's only going to be addressed by a blanket ban or total apathy.

 

[kanga_kid]

ok lets not mix two completely different things together here, sledging is not racialy taunting someone, that is verbal abuse. sledging is getting into an opponents head to try and alter there game by using slight and subtle gestures weather in conversation behind the stumps or gestures from bowler to batsmen. it is in no way teasing or bullying a player about his physical apearance or racial atrabutes. sledging is no more than banter between two competitive profesional atheletes, to ban sledging you would have to stop chat on feild between players all together, and than where do you stop. this is a complete farse. the game doesnt need changing, full stop. i love cricket, i love the contest of two nations going hard at it for 5 whole days locked in a contest where the outcome isnt decided until 8 minutes to go on the final day. rather than complaining about how bad calls and racial taunts on feild are tarnishing the game maybe you lot should stop and apreciate what we have here. and that is a contest were only the most mentaly strong and strongest will, wins. so toughen up princess, take it on the chin and do what will hurt them most.....take wickets or make runs.

 

[Tony]

Sledging

I tell a lie, I have sledged one bloke before. In a OD game, he nicked one behind off me (bigger than Andy Symonds' nick) and was deemed not out. Only on about 10 at the time, was the culmination of a plan I'd been working on and thought it had worked. Ah well, too bad so sad. I finish my spell and he proceeds to belt the living daylights out of the rest of the bowlers. I come back on when he's about 120 not with a few overs to go.

He hits one off me to the sweeper in the off-side hard and the sweeper stops the boundary but spilts the webbing in his hand doing it. He's on the ground holding his hand for a while as team mates come up to assist. Batsman says "Come on guys, get on with the game. What's the matter, afraid to bowl at me?" I say "Don't get ****y, you shouldn't still be out here. Besides, he's really hurt himself" He swears a few times at me and I proceed to bounce the living crap out of him for the rest of my spell.

Who do you punish and who stepped over the line? The way I saw it, I was just bringing a wanker back into line.

Wow - what a day out that bloke had...120 runs...doesnt look the so he was brought into line

Deserved the bouncers but....and I cant see anyone getting reported for that - looks like he enjoyed the bouncers anyway.

Kumble and Ponting should compile a list of words you cant say and discuss them with the referee before the next text. Maybe people on the forum can have input.

Monkey is one word as it is racist, any word insulting ***uality, implying that your parents were unmarried or maybe any other members of the animal kingdom should be included. Each player can carry the list in his pocket.

Anyway - usually irritation from sledging is usually directly related to how well the sledger is going at the time

 

[Tony]

Great definition of sledging

ok lets not mix two completely different things together here, sledging is not racialy taunting someone, that is verbal abuse. sledging is getting into an opponents head to try and alter there game by using slight and subtle gestures weather in conversation behind the stumps or gestures from bowler to batsmen.

Yep - most irritating sledging is the ongoing conversation between keeper and slips and bowlers, about your technique, clothing....etc etc. Good thing though as a batsman - the more it irritates you the longer you are out there.

 

[Perm]

When cricket stops being fun, it's not worth playing imo.

Precisely.

 

[ohtani's jacket]

Why is it that the Aussies suggest the opposition harden up, but when they receive a sledge they don't like, or draw the slightest bit of criticism, they get all sensitive?

 

[pasag]

Precisely.

Hmm, I recall having a discussion with you where you said winning is the most important thing and I disagreed, saying something along the lines of enjoying yourself is the most important thing, have you changed your position on this recently or have I gotten this wrong.

 

[NZTailender]

ok lets not mix two completely different things together here, sledging is not racialy taunting someone, that is verbal abuse. sledging is getting into an opponents head to try and alter there game by using slight and subtle gestures weather in conversation behind the stumps or gestures from bowler to batsmen. it is in no way teasing or bullying a player about his physical apearance or racial atrabutes. sledging is no more than banter between two competitive profesional atheletes, to ban sledging you would have to stop chat on feild between players all together, and than where do you stop. this is a complete farse. the game doesnt need changing, full stop. i love cricket, i love the contest of two nations going hard at it for 5 whole days locked in a contest where the outcome isnt decided until 8 minutes to go on the final day. rather than complaining about how bad calls and racial taunts on feild are tarnishing the game maybe you lot should stop and apreciate what we have here. and that is a contest were only the most mentaly strong and strongest will, wins. so toughen up princess, take it on the chin and do what will hurt them most.....take wickets or make runs.

Deadset, you're the worst type of **** there is. Why don't you go and step in front a 747 and get sucked into it's engines you degenerate halfwit?