Australia/England/India Tri Series Jan/Feb 2015

[Arthur Crabtree]

Anderson and Haddin are defending the use of sledging as good for the game. Well they would.

In the classic Universal horror films of the thirties, the monsters (Jimmy, Wee Davy, Mitch1, Virat) were liable to attack the peace loving villagers (Rogers, Woakesy, the New Zealand team) bringing about general chaos and a burning down of the castle. But in the forties, Universal got the monsters to fight each other, largely leaving the good people of the village alone, pitchfork and torch locked away, and just bringing about the mutual destruction of the title characters.

I see this as the way forward for cricket. Designated sledgers, who think swearing makes for a great spectacle, can get on it with each other and leave the others in peace. Hmm. Maybe they could wear Lon Chaney/Jack Pierce-esque make up to better express their inner ugliness?

[Aidan11]

I have no problem with sledging, as long as it doesn't get out of hand and stays on the field.

Some of it can be quite witty.

[Gingerfinch]

I like sledging. Sometimes the players go over the top, but in the main, it's harmless fun.

[Arthur Crabtree]

That's the problem.

As long as it doesn't go over the top.

As long as it doesn't get out of hand.

Who decides that? The reason we're discussing it is because that is what is happening.

[Aidan11]

The umpires will be in sole control.

There are not going to be any hard or fast rules but there is sledging and there is sledging.

"What a crap shot. What are you doing playing international cricket?" - That would be acceptable IMO. It is an opinion.

"I'll break your ****ing arm" - Obviously not acceptable.

Those are extremes and there are shades of grey in between the black and white but an umpire should be able to use his judgement and tell a player that he is out of order for being too offensive.

[Gingerfinch]

That's the problem.

As long as it doesn't go over the top.

As long as it doesn't get out of hand.

Who decides that? The reason we're discussing it is because that is what is happening.

It rarely does though. Can't think of too many incidents? Jimmy, Clarke and Johnson in the last ashes, Warner and Rohit. I'm sure there have been a few more. You can't stop the chatter.

[Arthur Crabtree]

That's a bit defeatist... so players who want to compete with a little dignity have to endure the contest reduced to its lowest common denominator? Being accompanied out to the middle with a player on each ear. A volley of abuse on being dismissed. A fielder standing in your face as you're preparing to face a ball. Threats of physical violence. Anderson's address to Jadeja... He thinks that's fine. I don't see why he gets to decide.

[Arthur Crabtree]

The umpires don't get involved. The coaches offer no guidance.

[hopeforthebest]

A great deal of sledging is gamesmanship designed to disturb the batsman's concentration and needs to be stamped out. The onfield umpires are like the 'hear nothing, see nothing, say nothing' monkey.

[Aidan11]

Where grown men compete in a team sport there will always be verbals.

[Arthur Crabtree]

We all emerged from the life giving swamp, our teeth locked into the necks of our competitors in a fight to the death. And this is our lives. As Charles Darwin explained, life is a constant battle to survive, and that doesn't stop just because we are having a disappointingly small swig of water from a pointy cup at work. We must struggle to pass on our genes, even when fighting for a big tv manufactured by a company we've never heard of in a sale we weren't expecting. As David Mamet said so memorably, always be selling. Second prize is some steak knives. Third prize is extinction.

Given this, how would you react in these situations. Add up your A,B and Cs and see if you are the sort of winner that could be basking in cricket world cup glory. Or if you are weak. Where do you draw the line.

1. Davy, a feisty new clerical officer has started at work, and you've been asked to integrate him into the team. Davy has taken to standing opposite your desk and telling you that you have a stupid accent and if you can't stand it you should get out now. Do you.
a) Ask Davy to go and pick up some important files from personnel and see if he wants to go for a drink that night with some of the guys.
b) Approach your boss and ask to be reassigned.
c) Threaten to break his face.

2. Jimmy, a promising junior manager at the firm has taken to throwing hard objects at your head as you pass and following that with a curse and a sneer. It seems he never gets tired of this and will be at it from morning until night. Do you.
a) Make light of it and shout back something humorous like "Mind the windows Jimmy'.
b) Go to your boss and explain that you have only just got over the Davey incident and you're worried that you are being bullied.
c) Announce so that everyone in the building can hear, that you are going to break his f***en arm.

Etc...

[KipperJohn]

It's pretty clear that some of the players are far from grown up. They are also seemingly unable to police themselves or take responsibility for their behaviour.

However, it's all very well leaving it to the umpires to do something, but what powers under present rules do they have on the field? All too often it's left to the match referee after the game, by which time it's far too late and the horse has bolted.

Nobody surely wants to see onfield punishments administered like a football referee, but it is becoming increasingly difficult to see what alternative there is.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Yes I agree completely. Teams are also unable to produce satisfactory over rates either.

In the laws of the game, the captain is responsible for the discipline of his or her players. This seems to mean little to those who carry that responsibility/honour.

[GarlicJam]

A great deal of sledging is gamesmanship designed to disturb the batsman's concentration and needs to be stamped out.

Why is this (as that statement stands) such a bad thing?

[rich1uk]

We all emerged from the life giving swamp, our teeth locked into the necks of our competitors in a fight to the death. And this is our lives. As Charles Darwin explained, life is a constant battle to survive, and that doesn't stop just because we are having a disappointingly small swig of water from a pointy cup at work. We must struggle to pass on our genes, even when fighting for a big tv manufactured by a company we've never heard of in a sale we weren't expecting. As David Mamet said so memorably, always be selling. Second prize is some steak knives. Third prize is extinction.

Given this, how would you react in these situations. Add up your A,B and Cs and see if you are the sort of winner that could be basking in cricket world cup glory. Or if you are weak. Where do you draw the line.

1. Davy, a feisty new clerical officer has started at work, and you've been asked to integrate him into the team. Davy has taken to standing opposite your desk and telling you that you have a stupid accent and if you can't stand it you should get out now. Do you.
a) Ask Davy to go and pick up some important files from personnel and see if he wants to go for a drink that night with some of the guys.
b) Approach your boss and ask to be reassigned.
c) Threaten to break his face.

2. Jimmy, a promising junior manager at the firm has taken to throwing hard objects at your head as you pass and following that with a curse and a sneer. It seems he never gets tired of this and will be at it from morning until night. Do you.
a) Make light of it and shout back something humorous like "Mind the windows Jimmy'.
b) Go to your boss and explain that you have only just got over the Davey incident and you're worried that you are being bullied.
c) Announce so that everyone in the building can hear, that you are going to break his f***en arm.

Etc...

you really cant compare what is and isn't acceptable in an office environment to competitive sport

i'm fairly sure if you turned up at work wearing pink pyjamas with your name on the back, trainers with spikes and started throwing a ball at your colleagues expecting them to bat it away then that wouldn't go down too well either

should the limits of behaviour and what can and cannot be said on a cricket field be policed better, of course they should, afaik in the situations which led to the analogies you gave the players were heavily fined

its extremely naïve to think players are going to spend 6-7 hours a day on a cricket field and no verbal exchanges to take place at all, professional sportsmen tend to be quite highly wound up and will do and say things in the heat of the game they would never dream of saying in a different environment