Was Australia's Sledging Too Much?

[fredfertang]

Probably just goes to show that the Australians have been too friendly for their own good in the last couple of series - I don't believe that their sledging affected the England players at all, but it clearly made them a different team, so it would be good if they could shut the **** up and go back to being polite and respectful to their superiors

 

[theegyptian]

Myself I feel Australia have gone over the top.

1st there was Warner punching Root. Plus being critical of opposition players which isn't really done in sport.
2nd there was Lehman inciting violence in that radio interview about Broad.
3rd Clarke as captain threatening physical hurt. It wouldn't be so bad but Clarke is captain and as such is the main representative of the country and it's values. Sure that's fine if that's the image you want to portray as distasteful and thugish.

Lehmann and Clarke are the two as coach and captain. Whether they meant it or not they're in the main position from which all the players take their cue and as such the kids and fans watching. Not a great image if you ask me.

But hey they won. I guess you could compare it to the somewhat dour cricket england played last summer.

 

[Woodster]

IIRC Anderson gave Watson a fair send-off in the second innings. There's no paragons of virtue here.

Thought it was Trott that had a few words as Watson walking off and Anderson only stepped in when Watson was giving it out.

 

[Viscount Tom]

There are some teams that will have a cry when they get sledged, I really hope we don't end up as one of them.

 

[Woodster]

I love a bit of sledging whether it's watching or playing, it just enhances the contest, especially in an Ashes series. I have no issues with what went on in this Test, but I have a feeling if the shoe was on the other foot there may well be a degree of unhappiness abound. Look at the reaction Broad caused for simply waiting for an umpire's decision!

Some of it obviously looked a little false and forced from some the Aussie players not synonymous with the verbals, but it's obviously a set out plan to unsettle England and you'd be hard pushed to say it hasn't worked, even if it was just used to pump up themselves.

 

[wpdavid]

Myself I feel Australia have gone over the top.

1st there was Warner punching Root. Plus being critical of opposition players which isn't really done in sport.
2nd there was Lehman inciting violence in that radio interview about Broad.
3rd Clarke as captain threatening physical hurt. It wouldn't be so bad but Clarke is captain and as such is the main representative of the country and it's values. Sure that's fine if that's the image you want to portray as distasteful and thugish.

Lehmann and Clarke are the two as coach and captain. Whether they meant it or not they're in the main position from which all the players take their cue and as such the kids and fans watching. Not a great image if you ask me.

But hey they won. I guess you could compare it to the somewhat dour cricket england played last summer.

Yup. The fact that they won means pretty much anything will hunky dory here on in or we're sore losers. I dunno if I CBA with the inevitable trashing, but fwiw. There are so many fibs peddled about sledging in cricket that I just wonder where they came from. If this kind of thing is ever challenged, we're told various of combinations of (1) it's always happened (2) it happens in all sports (3) it's some sort of indication that the players are sufficiently committed. All three being complete crap of course, but apparently it's an essential part of the game, so meh. I can live with most of it, if only because I can't hear it from where I'm sat. When it comes to the right up in the batsman's face 'spraying' by some charmless nurk who's feeling brave enough with 10 of his mates against one guy who can't go anywhere anyway, I'd be quite happy to see a change in the rules to allow the batsman to use his bat for a spot of facial and/or dental redistribution on the offender, or even give him a literal spraying if he can summon enough phlegm. But I accept I'm in a minority of one on that count.

 

[BoyBrumby]

No problems here at all. Anderson is a notorious sledger (I think it's a matter of record that certain Aussies "weren't happy" with what he said in 2010/11) so I think he'd take it on the chin. Or whatever other part of his anatomy isn't protected.

The Aussies scented blood, so it was boot on the throat time; hideous mixed metaphor as that obviously is. Laying down a marker for the series, like Clarke's response to Broad's short stuff second dig and his and Warner's calculated assault on Swann. Some good psychological point scoring.

What is most interesting is how England respond, because we've just ****ing swallowed it so far. Being an English sports fan for the better part of four decades has prepared me for defeat, but defeat without fight is hard to take. A lot of players, Trott and Prior not the least amongst them, owe us a ****ing performance in Adelaide.

 

[MW1304]

Totally agree with Brumby. None of the in-match chatter has gone too far, for me. I certainly don't want to hear any complaints within the England camp, just fight back on the pitch please.

 

[wpdavid]

Totally agree with Brumby. None of the in-match chatter has gone too far, for me. I certainly don't want to hear any complaints within the England camp, just fight back on the pitch please.

And tbf that's exactly what Cook was saying when interviewed post-match. His one exception was regarding the unprofessionalism of Warner's off-the-pitch comments about Trott, but we're probably going to hear a lot more of that sort of thing. I've always liked the old rugby adage of showing respect to your opponents even if you've just put 100 points against them, but maybe that's just not the way nowadays. Shame really. The other point that Cook made, quite reasonably, was that the back-to-back series was always going to contribute to a certain amount of needle.

 

[91Jmay]

Yeah, I don't see how England can complain in any way. If Bailey was chatting whilst the bowler was coming in then that is slightly different, but otherwise there is no problem.

Although as I've said earlier Clarke looks like a complete mincer with that chat.

 

[Burgey]

And tbf that's exactly what Cook was saying when interviewed post-match. His one exception was regarding the unprofessionalism of Warner's off-the-pitch comments about Trott, but we're probably going to hear a lot more of that sort of thing. I've always liked the old rugby adage of showing respect to your opponents even if you've just put 100 points against them, but maybe that's just not the way nowadays. Shame really. The other point that Cook made, quite reasonably, was that the back-to-back series was always going to contribute to a certain amount of needle.

You're assuming Warner has any redeeming features as a bloke.

 

[Top_Cat]

IIRC Anderson gave Watson a fair send-off in the second innings. There's no paragons of virtue here.

There never is with winning teams. Never.

Johnson is ****ing intimidating, definitely the scariest in the current team. Even when he's bowling all over the place I don't think people really want to be facing him in Tests.

Bloke like Johnson, agreed he's dangerous enough when he's a bit erratic but it's when he's on the button you know you're in real trouble. That tells you he's got his body and head right. Also tells you something about how rough it must be at the receiving end when we're talking about any quick being intimidating in the era of ultra protection. And, honestly, it gives you a big indicator of what someone like Lee missed a lot of the time. Johnson, when he's on top, stays all over you at the same (quick enough!) pace whereas Lee would see a bloke is intimidated, try bowling quicker and slip into yorker/bouncer. Any one well directed bumper can scare the life out of someone but consistent pace sucks the air out of the room for even the best batters.

 

[outbreak]

Personally I don't see anything wrong with it, they went after Anderson hard because he was going after them but then went to the umpires once the Aussies started sledging him. So long as it wasn't anything personal (I believe it started with Bailey making fun of Andersons bowling) that lead to Anderson going to the umpires I have no issues.

The guys like Root who just laugh it off or get on with it don't get as harsh a treatment. I spoke with an english friend about this and he seemed to think it was unheard of to sledge in england juniors teams and it's not done at all in their culture, is that true?

For me it adds a bit more life to the game, is johnson supposed to apolgize after every bouncer? Test cricket is big boy cricket and cricket is a sport where getting in someone's head and altering their mind set can make a huge difference in the game. So long as people don't bring race/religion/family into sledging I don't see the problem.

 

[TNT]

Don't see the problem, amusing thread though.

James Anderson: I can't help sledging the Aussies
James Anderson: I can't help sledging the Aussies - Profiles - People - The Independent

 

[benchmark00]

Amazing find.

 

[LongHopCassidy]

Loved Johnson's 'To Catch a Predator' smile at Root.

 

[JontyPanesar]

Competition isn't meant to be friendly. They can all be friends when they retire. Are the English so feeble-minded that they are offended and rattled by mere words? I would give them a little more credit than that. Cricket is the only sport where we make a big deal about sledging. Every other sport, trash talk is normal, whether it is lighthearted banter or nasty insults. I've never understood why people take such stuff personally anyways. Why should David Warner's opinion mean anything to Jonathan Trott?

 

[adub]

Warner's opinion wouldn't mean a pinch of **** to Trott unless there was a kernel of truth to it.

Love the sledge. It's just another way to work over the opposition. You gotta be focused to handle balls coming at your throat at 145km, you gotta be focused to negotiate late swing, you gotta be focused to negotiate one that turns and bounces out of the foot marks. If the opposition can get you focusing on what they're saying rather than the next ball then they're that step closer to winning. They're just looking for a weakness, or trying to take maximum advantage of one that's been identified. Done badly or against a poorly chosen target it can backfire. Sledging Waugh for instance was dumb. Just made the **** more determined.

And that's part of Test cricket's magic for me. It is total. The battle starts long before the toss. Trott has been identified as a weak link now. The Australians aren't going to ease up on him. He has two options - fight back or be destroyed. His captain having a whinge about that nasty Davy saying mean things isn't helping him. I like Trott and kinda hope he can respond and jam Warner's words down his throat through weight of runs. But if he doesn't then how was what Warner said wrong?

 

[benchmark00]

Adub an expert at handling balls coming at his throat.

 

[adub]

Adub an expert at handling balls coming at his throat.

whereas you prefer them coming at the chin or nose?