Should sledging be a part of the game?
Cricket has various aspects that fascinate us. We are often left mesmerized by those big sixes, those breathtaking catches, and those sizzling yorkers. More often than not, the conduct of the players on the field is something that catches our eye. Those cheeky gestures, puzzling hand gestures and the verbal banters.
Verbal banters are always given the name of sledging. Sledging stands for the usage of remarks that are pointed towards an opponent which is mainly aimed at taunting him or derailing his focus.
It has always been a part of this wonderful game and whether we like it or not, it adds some spice to the proceedings.
Sledging is most commonly seen between two rival teams or those fighting for a common spot. Sledging brings out the competitive best out of the players.
It makes the match look even more interesting and intense. It engages the spectators as well and I would say, sledging in a Test match is as good as whiskey on the rocks! Both go very well together.
Some may argue that sledging spoils the tagline of the game and it's true up to an extent. Cricket is a gentleman's game and it should be kept like that. Players should know what the boundaries are and it shouldn't get too personal. What happens on the field should stay on the field. Physical fights should be seen as an unforgivable offense.
Gentlemen don't fight.
For those who say that sledging is bad for the game, howsoever small the taunt may be, times have changed, my friends. Players like Virat Kohli, David Warner, and Ben Stokes can't help but stay competitive. You only win something when you truly compete for it.
In cricket, competing means retaliating whenever necessary and replying hard to an aggressive brand of cricket with the same. Let's take the infamous Mitchell Johnson and Virat Kohli rivalry. We all enjoyed it and if you didn't, you probably didn't see it. When you are being sledged, you really feel like giving it back to the opposition and those who are aggressive by nature, do give it back.
Players like Dravid give it back too, but not verbally. He was known to reply with his bat and that's why he was known as the wall. Batting for endless hours is no joke. Dravid had one formula to reply to his de. It was either block or a straight drive past the bowler, down the ground. Such players are often termed defensive but I really feel that they are as aggressive as they can get. They might not show it, but they do feel it.
The Australians are known to be the best sledgers of the game. They often play mind games with the opposition and set their traps to perfection. In the past, some players have carried their on-field banters, off the field too which is not a good sign. They paid the price for it though. ICC imposed heavy sanctions on the players involved. Like I said, sledging needs to know its boundaries.
Let's take the infamous "Get ready for your broken f***ing arm" sledge by Micheal Clarke to Jimmy Anderson. That series was pretty heated up. Mitch Johnson was bowling thunderbolts and the Aussies looked like they were ready to give their life to get their hands on the Urn. It was highly competitive and both the sides enjoyed it. To be honest I enjoyed the all the banters in that series. After all, who does not enjoy competitive cricket? These players never crossed the line on the pitch and that's what amazed me.
T20 games are anyway a bit too intense and sledging in that makes no sense. Having said that, Mitchell Starc vs Kieron Pollard is something to remember. It was MI Vs RCB back in 2014 and Starc was steaming in. That's when Pollard pulled out and Starc was just about to deliver. Mitchell completely lost it. He completed his delivery anyway and the line of the delivery was angling towards Pollard. Now imagine something. Imagine that you have pulled out from a delivery and the bowler bowls it anyway at about 140 kph and it misses you by whiskers. What would be your reaction? You'd completely lose it, right? Well, that's what happened and Pollard threw the bat towards Starc. It hit the pitch fortunately and Starc was unharmed. But both the players crossed the line here and by a big margin. They were penalized accordingly.
Instances like this don't make much sense when the game is proceeding at a quick rate. IPL is always intense. We don't see much sledging in ODIs as well which is fine. Tests are the ideal platform for sledging and whether or not the ICC likes it, it does boost the viewership as well.
In my opinion, verbal banters are okay and the ICC should be lenient towards the players provided they don't cross the line. One cannot stop a competitive player from being competitive. After all, he's competitive for a reason and that's in the nature of his game. It would tamper his playing style and possibly, results too.
To conclude, I'd like to say that Sledging is a part of the game and the competitiveness is bound to stay for the greater good. ICC should be a bit lenient when it comes to sledging and should let the players express themselves, provided they don't cross the line.