The beginning of the end for sledging?

[Top_Cat]

Who says golfers don't sledge?!

De nile, not just a river in Africa......

 

[Tony]

Who says golfers don't sledge?!

See the US or World teams jumping around after the Ryder Cup - Makes Pontings celebration look like a Boony handshake.

Probably no sledging on the course though - but the banter, talking about club selection, wouldnt want to find that water on the right would you?

It would be gold.

Actually on that point the criticism about the Aust sledging by sporting legends - Herb Elliott etc were from people in individual sports, also jealous of the attention that the Aussie team get. Biggest mistake was reporting Harbahjan setting off all the pent up jealousy..

No criticism from Basketballers, hockey players, footballers (might be different because you can deck someone legitimately). Bertrand is a sailor - would have to yell pretty loud to sledge - at those American Cup starts there could be heaps of sledging I reckon.

 

[jeevan]

i believe sledging should stay part of cricket but certain rules should be applied.. no racial and family insulting..players who dicerminate any player recially should be ban from playing cricket for a while.. i think i have mention this before that the last time i enjoy this type of incident was Chris Gayle vs Keven Peiterson.. at the end the sportmanship and respect that both men showed proves that sledgin can be entertaining but as long as at end of the day both of the players have respect and sense of sportmanship for each other..

i don't know for some reason one question is bothering me.. why india has been part of these type of conterversies lately. the jelly bean incident in England tour, Symond vs Sreasanth in india, and now symond vs Singh... wether india is guilty and responsible for that or it is their unfurtunate..

How about calling Inzamam Aloo, is that OK?

India & Pakistan probably have a few players that come from very modest / rural backgrounds (like Munaf Patel) who, my very strong guess, are more sensitive to things like "hey can your mom eat with a fork" than, say, an Australian player to "bastard". He may have seen $50K this year (possibly first time seeing anything more than $500 ) but that sensitivity is also due to where he was born, i.e. is (in my book) entitled to as much protection as Symonds from monkey chants. How about them? OK to say this?

 

[LongHopCassidy]

They're certainly not mutually exclusive but when enjoyment comes at the expense of winning, one is entitled to ask whether it's all worth it.

I raise your quote with another one () from Ian Chappell (ironically and perhaps unrelated) after Australia didn't declare in order to bat out a match so the Ashes had no chance of being lost:

"If that's Test cricket you can stick it up your ****ing ****"

Now obviously you can bring in Bill Lawry's "We did what we came to do", but I'm firmly in the Chappell camp on this one.

The quotes we've been whipping out are somewhat telling of each captain's style, doncher reckon?

Obviously, though, Chappell found wins an awful lot easier to come by than Lawry and Border. He was only really qualified to pontificate on the spirit of the game after he'd amassed his captaincy record - a record dependent on the quality of his team, the majority of whom (Marsh, Walters, Lillee, O'Keeffe etc.) were natural entertainers, and decent cricketers to boot.

Border only belatedly got that chance, and Lawry never did. Ergo, they were forced to do things that other captains would have spurned - Chappell especially - to stave off a defeat.

Most advocates of 'sport for enjoyment's sake' have been fortunate enough to have been rarely been forced to resort to unpopular tactics in search of a victory. Ponting, of course, is an exception.

 

[Top_Cat]

Ponting, of course, is an exception.

Not a fella you'd invite for a BBQ very many times, is he?

 

[LongHopCassidy]

Not a fella you'd invite for a BBQ very many times, is he?

'Specially if I ran the Bourbon and Beefsteak.

I meant that he hasn't been forced to make unpopular moves (e.g. seldom enforcing the follow-on) but does them anyway.

 

[pasag]

The quotes we've been whipping out are somewhat telling of each captain's style, doncher reckon?

Obviously, though, Chappell found wins an awful lot easier to come by than Lawry and Border. He was only really qualified to pontificate on the spirit of the game after he'd amassed his captaincy record - a record dependent on the quality of his team, the majority of whom (Marsh, Walters, Lillee, O'Keeffe etc.) were natural entertainers, and decent cricketers to boot.

Border only belatedly got that chance, and Lawry never did. Ergo, they were forced to do things that other captains would have spurned - Chappell especially - to stave off a defeat.

Most advocates of 'sport for enjoyment's sake' have been fortunate enough to have been rarely been forced to resort to unpopular tactics in search of a victory. Ponting, of course, is an exception.

Was said by a young Chappell in the dressing room and overheard by his captain Lawry, tbf But yeah, I see your point and certain situations are going to lead to certain ideals. Could probably add in Jardine's mentality in regaining the Ashes into all of this as well.

 

[irfan]

Personally I reckon sledging should only be permitted if it is funny and avoids profanities. If sledging was banned, we'd miss the classic witty one-liners like

" Don't bother shutting it son, you won't be out there long enough," Fred Trueman to an Aussie batsman at the gate.

" Mate, if you turn the bat over, you'll find the instructions at the back," Merv Hughes to Robin Smith

" Let's send chess club back to the pavillion." Shane Warne to a very young bespectacled Dan Vettori.

I think the yardstick of how funny a sledge is, is if it brings a smile to Richie's face. If he's pleased then the banter continues, if he nods in disapproval then impose a fine/match ban to whoever's accused. That way it forces the players to be more clever when they come up with verbal digs, instead of you f-in this and that.

 

[LongHopCassidy]

Was said by a young Chappell in the dressing room and overheard by his captain Lawry, tbf But yeah, I see your point and certain situations are going to lead to certain ideals. Could probably add in Jardine's mentality in regaining the Ashes into all of this as well.

Haha. Feel silly now.

But yeah, what one gets from cricket will shape the mentality in games to come. If one obtains a livelihood, then they'll presumably (and quite understandably) take every opportunity to safeguard it.

 

[Matt79]

How many major international sports, other than golf, dont have sledging?

And what does that prove? The whole "please sir, all the other children do it too" attitude that the Aussie team uses to justify the fact that they've led the charge with on-field verbal unpleasantness is a pretty weak immature attitude IMO.

Where else is that kind of crap acceptable in adult life?

But to answer your question, I not aware of any other non-contact sports where a team has taken sledging to such a level. And it annoys me partially because I really think they don't need to do it to beat their opposition and still have fun doing it.

 

[Slow Love™]

Personally I reckon sledging should only be permitted if it is funny and avoids profanities. If sledging was banned, we'd miss the classic witty one-liners like

" Don't bother shutting it son, you won't be out there long enough," Fred Trueman to an Aussie batsman at the gate.

" Mate, if you turn the bat over, you'll find the instructions at the back," Merv Hughes to Robin Smith

" Let's send chess club back to the pavillion." Shane Warne to a very young bespectacled Dan Vettori.

I think the yardstick of how funny a sledge is, is if it brings a smile to Richie's face. If he's pleased then the banter continues, if he nods in disapproval then impose a fine/match ban to whoever's accused. That way it forces the players to be more clever when they come up with verbal digs, instead of you f-in this and that.

I agree with your basic premise and the yardstick is an interesting idea, though it's become a bit hard to tell the difference between Richie's smile-face, impassive-face and disapproval-face in recent years. Would be interested to see his ***-face to see if there's any variation there.

 

[Jono]

If you're going to allow sledging, allow send-offs. I don't see how a player is allowed to call a batsman a "****ing **** bat" but can't point to the pavillion when he gets him out.

I miss a good Shoaib Akhtar send-off.

 

[silentstriker]

I agree with your basic premise and the yardstick is an interesting idea, though it's become a bit hard to tell the difference between Richie's smile-face, impassive-face and disapproval-face in recent years. Would be interested to see his ***-face to see if there's any variation there.

That's gold.

 

[social]

And what does that prove? The whole "please sir, all the other children do it too" attitude that the Aussie team uses to justify the fact that they've led the charge with on-field verbal unpleasantness is a pretty weak immature attitude IMO.

Where else is that kind of crap acceptable in adult life?

But to answer your question, I not aware of any other non-contact sports where a team has taken sledging to such a level. And it annoys me partially because I really think they don't need to do it to beat their opposition and still have fun doing it.

The point is that it's part and parcel of every day life in major sports world-wide and has been for many, many years - it's simply being blown out of all proportion here because of a broader issue

BTW, where were these concerns when Sreesanth was acting like such a jackass in India?

Or in England?

Or in South Africa?

 

[honestbharani]

The point is that it's part and parcel of every day life in major sports world-wide and has been for many, many years - it's simply being blown out of all proportion here because of a broader issue

BTW, where were these concerns when Sreesanth was acting like such a jackass in India?

Or in England?

Or in South Africa?

If you try to see it hard enough, you will see how much was made out of Sree's unnecessary attempts at sledging at Vaughan, Pieterson and Collingwood when India toured England.


And he got some of the worst OTT comments from mostly Indian journalists and commentators. Dravid himself went to the extent of telling the media that they have spoken to him in "many" languages... And Dravid isn't exactly someone who puts his cards on the table much...

 

[Johnners]

If you're going to allow sledging, allow send-offs. I don't see how a player is allowed to call a batsman a "****ing **** bat" but can't point to the pavillion when he gets him out.

I miss a good Shoaib Akhtar send-off.

Makes a good point. Would prefer to see Brett Lee go back to the chainsaw though.

 

[Son Of Coco]

Who is going to tell them? CA? Tough chance, they have $50million riding on it. ICC? Haha.

I'll tell them

 

[vic_orthdox]

Nah, send-offs are stupid. Kicking a man while he's down.

 

[silentstriker]

BTW, where were these concerns when Sreesanth was acting like such a jackass in India?

Or in England?

Or in South Africa?

The concerns were there, and members on this board called him a ****wit and an idiot (look my post history), as well as many Indian journalists and even the team management. Just because you don't remember any, doesn't mean there weren't.

 

[luckyeddie]

What would happen if someone repeated their on-field sledging in the street?

Confrontation at least.