Sledging.. How far is too far?????

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krazykelpie

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Sledging.. How far is too far?????

Hi,
Just a quick one here, just wondering what are your thoughts on this.

Played on weekend, our team, BIG sledging team, and at times got personal towards opposition. I might well be the only one on the team who feels this way... Theres one thing to encourage your teamates, and have a bit of a dig at highlighting oppostion batting weaknesses, or simply bad shots/technique.. But when you feel it goes too far with some offensive comments, and basically bad blood between team, due primarily down to sledging, then how far is too far???

Do u do sledge? If so, when and how far do u go with it.

I was embarresed to be associated with this kind of shi*house sportsmanship and team to be honest, having played many sports I am not prepared to sledge, I know a lot of cricketers who do this, but what the ****.
You dont see Tiger Woods sledging before Colin Montgomery tees off in the Ryder Cup, so why is it in cricket???

Are we teaching our juniors to continue with this ??

Love to read your thoughts on this.
Krazykelpie:mad::confused::mad:
 
Re: Sledging.. How far is too far?????

This is a difficult one to make an actual ruling on. It's a fine line.

I myself believe it should be kept to a minimum. I am a very big promotor of spirit of the game, but then again a bit of sledging does help in the spirit of things, making a better competition.

As long as things are done with tongue in cheek it is almost always going to be fine. I cop a lot of sledging due to my poor technique with blocking, with everyone chirping out something like 'easy wicket here', 'the batsman aren't getting any better after this bloke', but I like to let my performances talk, and if I get out next ball then I count myself as outplayed.

Anything thats starts moving into personal territory is always a bad idea, unless you know the player personally and in good spirits with him/her.
 
Re: Sledging.. How far is too far?????

Banter, a few jibes here and there, comments on technique or a bit of 'mind the windows, tino' type sledging is fine; even adds to the game in some respects.

Personal stuff, unfunny and boorish comments - totally unnecessary. If I catch my team straying into that territory they get a rollicking and warning first time. Second time they're gone until they have learned to control themselves.

Sure, emotions can flare up but there is still no need for it.
 
Re: Sledging.. How far is too far?????

I think commonsense has to be applied always, sometimes bowlers can go over the top if a nick goes through the slips or what not, a bit of leeway should be given in the heat of the moment. It really depends on whats said, a lot of guys know what is acceptable, when I played under-age cricket I can't remember any sledging to be honest, even up to first eleven cricket in year 12.

The worst sledge I ever had towards me was "you didn't know much about that one did you".

No doubt in grade cricket guys may get a bit carried away.
 
Re: Sledging.. How far is too far?????

As a keeper, you have to be vocal behind the stumps, so the odd comment about the batsmans technique etc. is made without any repercussions (apart from the same being received when I am batting, which I also have no probs with).

I know some people who are utterly obscene though, and basically they are hated by others and barely tolerated by their own team. No place for obscenity, personal insults, racial insults or insulting the family in my book.
 
Re: Sledging.. How far is too far?????

im not sure whether Australians use the word "banter"? but id say if its banter, then its fine. if its insults then its not. firstly, theres rarely even a need to say anything with your mouth, your eyes and body language can paint most pictures as a bowler. if the batsman comes close to an edge or whatever then its easier to use body language to show them how close you were. a bit of banter about technique, and encouragement to the bowler, etc is just light hearted fun. i will personally also use it to wind a batsman up though, and the more annoyed they get the more enjoyable it is. nothing out of order, but if a batsman is irritated then they arent concentrating on playing sensible shots. sometimes it doesnt take much, just letting them know how close they are to losing their wicket can be enough. other batsman are just completely immune to it.

when im batting i love the banter. the more the better, i thrive on it. i dont take my batting at all seriously, so no amount of criticism of my technique could ever get me wound up. i usually end up finding the comments amusing, and il often talk to the wicket keeper. if they get too vocal then il give some back just to keep them in their place.

there is absolutely no place for personal insults, anything racial, anything offensive, etc. at the same time, if a batsman knicks a ball to slip or gets stumped and the umpire doesnt give it he had better walk! any batsman that doesnt walk off a solid decision (let go by poor umpiring) deserves everything he gets. cricket is a gentlemans game, and should be treated as such. that means 100% honesty. dishonesty is IMO worse than any kind of sledging. personal insults still arent acceptable, but a batsman that doesnt walk should expect to receive plenty of banter at every delivery from there onwards.
 
Re: Sledging.. How far is too far?????

It depends (although it shouldnt) on the league and area imo. I used to play for a little village club in the 3rd tier where it was light hearted and if you got a snotty nosed 14 yr old give you a bit of stick there captain would normally give em a clip. But then i moved to a top divison side and it changed, the kids who were quite were being told to be louder by punishment of fines, the players who were senior juniors (17-22) couldnt talk with out over exaggerating and sending all forms of abuse at batsmen. It genuinly shocked me at 1st and i wouldn't do it, but you learn that if you don't return it you just get targeted. So, even though i avoid it, it isnt uncommon for players in my league to square up to each other and send the odd beamer around.
That is too far.
 
Re: Sledging.. How far is too far?????

Duncan Fletcher gave what I thought was a rather good guide to what the spirit of the game means - he said if you would be ashamed to see schoolchildren mimicking your behaviour you've gone too far.
 
Re: Sledging.. How far is too far?????

Spiderlounge;385716 said:
Duncan Fletcher gave what I thought was a rather good guide to what the spirit of the game means - he said if you would be ashamed to see schoolchildren mimicking your behaviour you've gone too far.
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I was thinking along those lines. I reckon that if you would be ashamed to say it in front of your mother you've gone too far. Likewise, if what you're coming out with would get you a smack in the mouth at the pub, then you've probably overstepped the mark.
 
Re: Sledging.. How far is too far?????

a bit off topic ;)
I once attended a Charity night with andrew flintoff and various england team members, and they had someone ask a question of "whats the best sledging you heard?"
I think it was swanny came back and told a story about how once they were playing hussey in some county cricket, and their wicket keeper was giving hussey all the sledging starting off with
"Mate your ugly"
"Mate , your seriously ugly, i'm glad your facing the other way"
"Mate, your so ugly, you could play for the International Ugly XI"
"Mate, your so ugly, you'd be opening the batting for them!"
To which hussey turned around and replied
"Maybe mate, but your wife would be opening the bowling"



(I may have got this slightly wrong but you get the jist ;) )
 
Re: Sledging.. How far is too far?????

Jim2109;385707 said:
there is absolutely no place for personal insults, anything racial, anything offensive, etc. at the same time, if a batsman knicks a ball to slip or gets stumped and the umpire doesnt give it he had better walk! any batsman that doesnt walk off a solid decision (let go by poor umpiring) deserves everything he gets. cricket is a gentlemans game, and should be treated as such. that means 100% honesty. dishonesty is IMO worse than any kind of sledging. personal insults still arent acceptable, but a batsman that doesnt walk should expect to receive plenty of banter at every delivery from there onwards.
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Bulldust, I'm prepared to cop all manner of chat if I choose not to walk but to be dictated to that I must walk is drivel. Cricket remains a competitive game and if I am given an opportunity I'm going to latch onto it. Who knows when my luck will end and I receive a run of shockers? It all evens out in the great scheme of things so I'm going to take and be thankful for any opportunities that come my way.
 
Re: Sledging.. How far is too far?????

on the topic of walking, i'm with lemmon. if the umpire doesn't give it, it's not out! you get so many crappy decisions that if an umpire doesn't give it out then you take the luck! i give more than as good as i get regarding banter though so if anything it gets me more psyched up! almost anything is within reason, if you ask me, racism/sexism/anything on that level probably isn't though. got nothing wrong with personal sledging, just as long as it's done in the right spirit (i.e. not hateful/malicious, and not bordering on assault!)
 
Re: Sledging.. How far is too far?????

The last two posts (re walking) are completely wrong in my opinion. You both sound like footballers.
Sorry but No, these posts annoy me so much i'm lost for words.

The spirit of cricket is that you should walk.
 
Re: Sledging.. How far is too far?????

SteveyD;397904 said:
The last two posts (re walking) are completely wrong in my opinion. You both sound like footballers.
Sorry but No, these posts annoy me so much i'm lost for words.

The spirit of cricket is that you should walk.
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The spirit of cricket is that you accept the umpires decision, not that you should walk.
 
Re: Sledging.. How far is too far?????

There is no such thing as the spirit of cricket (at least in the sense that you two have just tried to apply it)
 
Re: Sledging.. How far is too far?????

SteveyD;397904 said:
The last two posts (re walking) are completely wrong in my opinion. You both sound like footballers.
Sorry but No, these posts annoy me so much i'm lost for words.

The spirit of cricket is that you should walk.
Click to expand...

I disagree wholeheartedly. You get bad decisions all the time so when you get one go your favour you don't walk.
It may be something a footballer would say/do but I could argue that 'walking' is what 'park' cricketers do.
The 'spirit of cricket' is often thrown around and I doubt there is any one person in the whole world you actually follows it to a tee.

And, these blokes who say they walk all the time. If you nick one down the legside to the keeper, do you still walk if no-one appeals?

As for sledging, I personally do it a bit. Only do it when I think I can gain an advantage out of it though. Don't usually sledge from a frustration point of view. I get sledged a bit, but I get as good as I give.
 
Re: Sledging.. How far is too far?????

Being a left arm spinner, i've had many decisions go against me because umpires don't know the lbw rules (for example you assume a delivery to continue the path it's going) so when i bowl an arm ball for example, they give it not out because it would have turned away and missed off stump... the point is you take the rough with the smooth. i don't walk because there is human error in the game, if the umpire says you aren't out then you aren't out!
 
Re: Sledging.. How far is too far?????

I always walk if I know for a fact I should be/should have been out.

I don't do it fully for the spirit of the game. I do it because the bowler bowling to me just got my wicket, he outplayed me. He should have his win, I should live on to bat another day.

If nobody appeals it's a tough one, but normally I wouldn't walk. That is simply because it would be at no loss to the other team, they don't get cheated out of a wicket.

Only people that play cricket as the first and foremost sport and barely follow/play others seem to understand this.
 
Re: Sledging.. How far is too far?????

LIONS then DAYLIGHT;397938 said:
The spirit of cricket is that you accept the umpires decision, not that you should walk.
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I disagree, the umpires role is more ceremonial than say a referee.

I think the position of walking is if you know your out, you walk. Ie edges, etc should all be walking. Things like runouts, you can't really tell as the batsman so thats when the umpire should be coming into it.

I think Boris' is probably the closest to my point of view. IF you know you edged it and refuse to walk, I dont care that the umpire didn't give it, your clearly cheating.

LBW decisions as a batsman are hard to justify anyway, the only way you can really be sure its going to hit from your point of view is if your on the back foot right in front of the stumps...
i don't walk because there is human error in the game, if the umpire says you aren't out then you aren't out!
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Just because there is human error, you shouldn't actively seek to correct it. Just take it on the chin.
 
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