Sledging to rise again from the Ashes as rivals collide

Verbal fireworks expected when England, Australia clash in the biggest Test series

MANCHESTER: As per the Lord’s-based Marylebone Cricket Club, still the guardian of cricket’s rules, it is against the ‘spirit of the game’ to “direct abusive language towards an opponent”.

Ask many a cricket fan for a definition of ‘sledging’ and the chances are they would settle for the MCC version.

But, in a sign of how tricky it is to agree on what is or isn’t acceptable, Australia’s Shaun Marsh said on Monday: “It is an Ashes series and I am sure there will be sledging from both teams, but I am also sure it will be in the spirit of the game.”

But there was a recognition that things had got out of hand during the last Ashes campaign, which saw Australia whitewash England 5-0 on home soil in 2013-14.

During the first Test in Brisbane, Australia captain Michael Clarke told England tail-ender James Anderson to “get ready for a broken...arm”.

Clarke later apologised for the tone of his comments and promised the upcoming Ashes would be played in the “right spirit”.

Prior to this year’s World Cup, the International Cricket Council promised a crackdown on sledging. But that did not stop wicket-keeper Brad Haddin from giving send-offs to several departing New Zealand batsmen during Australia’s seven-wicket World Cup final win in Melbourne on March 29.

Haddin subsequently gave a radio interview in which he defended his actions. “They were that nice to us in New Zealand [when Australia lost a pool match] and we were that uncomfortable. I said I’m not playing cricket like this. If we get another crack at these guys in the final I’m letting everything [out]. And I’m not going to play another one-day game so they can suspend me for as long as they like.”

Part of the problem is that there is little humour in modern-day sledging, unlike the time when England great Ian Botham responded to Australia wicket-keeper Rodney Marsh’s barb of “how’s your wife and my kids?” by answering: “Wife’s fine, kids are retarded.” 

Published in The Express Tribune, June 24^th,  2015.

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