Sledging can be subtle but is generally abusive in nature

Sledging is exchanging words with an opposition player which can put them off their usual game; it is an attempt to "psych out" an opponent. It can lead to an unexpected decline in performance and is not in the spirit of the game (see "Legality" below). It is most frequently used by wicket-keepers or bowlers to batsmen at the striking end.

The wicket-keeper usually talks to himself, but in a loud enough voice that the batsman can hear. Normally the keeper will talk about hypothetical bowling situations in which the batsmen is bowled. It is also common for the wicket-keeper to encourage the batsmen to attempt to slog the ball, a risky action which could lead to catches or clean bowls. Another frequently used device is to congratulate the bowler on his bowling which also is considered excellent at unnerving the batters.

Bowlers tend to be more direct. Typically, a bowler sledges a batsman face to face and his comments may be humorous, obscene or even (from fast bowlers in particular) threatening (physical harm). This directness tends to produce more confrontational situations (batsmen generally accept sledging from keepers and fielders as background noise) and is more likely to meet with a response.

Some famous examples

• Glenn McGrath (Australia) to Zimbabwean Eddo Brandes after Brandes had played and missed at a McGrath delivery: "Oi, Brandes, why are you so fucking fat?" to which Brandes replied: "Cos every time I fuck your wife she gives me a biscuit!" Apparently even the Australian slips were in hysterics.
• Shane Warne (Australia) when bowling against Arjuna Ranatunga (a famously rotund Sri Lanka batsman) wondered aloud what would draw the batsman out of his crease. Wicketkeeper Ian Healy piped up, "Put a Mars Bar on a good length. That'll do it."
• Javed Miandad (Pakistan) called Merv Hughes (Australia) a fat bus conductor. Merv dismissed Miandad shortly afterwards, and called out "Tickets, please!".

Cultural views on sledging

Because cricket is an international sport with a wide variety of cultures involved, opinions on sledging can differ considerably, leading to many cultural misunderstandings and controversies

English

Traditionally sledging was seen as a prime example of a practice that was "Not Cricket", and was generally looked down upon as ungentlemanly. Mild forms of sledging would take place in the English game, but personal attacks were seen as unacceptable. In recent years, English cricket has adopted a more Australasian competitive streak, and sledging has become more commonplace.

In Australian and New Zealand culture, sledging is seen as fair game, and part of masculine discourse. Adult males commonly insult each other as part of social relations, particularly in sport, with the proviso that "What's said on the pitch stays on the pitch". Two sports players may thus insult each other on a cricket field, and then have a beer afterwards and be the best of friends. In this cultural context, sledging is not seen as a big deal, and those who complain about it are derided as immature and unmasculine

White South African and Zimbabwean society are very similar to Australian and New Zealand society in this context, and inter team sledging can be conducted in a humorous manner (see the McGrath-Brandes incident above and the resulting reaction). However one big difference in the Southern African context is the sensitivity to racism - racist sledges are seen as quite unacceptable, to a greater degree than say Australia.

West Indian

West Indian have been known to hold their own in witty sledges with western teams. However any inkling of racial, or cultural slights can be interpreted very negatively

Asian

South Asian societies such as India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh have a very strong concept of politeness and keeping face. Personal insults are seen as boorish and uneducated. When cricket was first introduced to the westernized elites of South Asian society, these groups adopted the concepts of fair play in the traditional English sense when playing cricket. Players raised in such a cricketing subculture consequently found it hard to accept, or handle sledging in the Australasian fashion. Many controversies have arisen out of these very different cultural prisms. In recent years however South Asian teams have become adept at sledging in their own fashion, notably Sri Lanka, which has used Australian coaches and coaching methods since the mid 1990s. Western commentators have often challenged South Asian teams on their supposed claims of sledging innocence, pointing at the common on field use of Hindi and Urdu phrases that neither other players nor umpires can understand..

Legality

Until the recent introduction of "The Spirit of the Game - The preamble", sledging has always been accepted as "part of the game". The only legal restraint on sledgers is that they must not speak whilst the bowler is running in to deliver, or when the ball is in play. All legal sledging, therefore, takes place between deliveries. An exception to this is when a batsman engages in sledging a bowler. For instance, the batsman may hit a ball for a boundary and direct a comment (eg. "Easy runs") at the bowler.

Since the aforementioned "Spirit of The Game" amendment, sledging, on the face of it, would appear to be illegal, but it is still considered "acceptable" and is rarely, if ever, punished by law, even though the wording of the relevant "law" is straightforward. (See Preamble to the Laws - 5. It is against the Spirit of the Game.)

5. It is against the Spirit of the Game:

• To dispute an umpire's decision by word, action or gesture

• To direct abusive language towards an opponent or umpire

• To indulge in cheating or any sharp practice, for instance:
  (a) to appeal knowing that the batsman is not out
  (b) to advance towards an umpire in an aggressive manner when appealing
  (c) to seek to distract an opponent either verbally or by harassment with persistent clapping or unnecessary noise under the guise of enthusiasm and motivation of one's own side.

This page was last updated Tuesday, 13 March 2007