Sledging in sport
A minor controversy has emerged in cricket with South Africans allegedly racially abusing Pakistani players. The South African officials are saying that the phrase used was they’re like animals... Footage shows that the exact phrase used also included go back to your zoo with plenty of expletives in between though it is not clear on whom the insults were directed at.
I don’t see why a player has to crop abusive behaviour on the field just because he is playing cricket. I don’t see tennis players mouthing off against each other for example and I don’t see it in any sport at least as openly as I see in cricket. Isn’t tennis a professional sport as well?
Kallis called an Indian batsman (I think it was Dravid) you *abuses* Indian during the recent South Africa-India series. Now why should a player tolerate such nonsense just because he is playing cricket?
I have been a long term advocator of playing cricket with the bat and the ball instead of the mouth and even though I might be in a minority, I feel firmly on the topic. I don’t see why sledging should be passed as part of the game.
Friendly banter is okay but sledging, particularly the racial kind, is not required in sport.
Update: Cricketvideosunplugged has the video of the incident.
Tags: Pakistan Cricket, South African Cricket.
January 16th, 2007 at 9:58 pm
[…] . . « Sledging in sport […]
January 17th, 2007 at 5:16 pm
Boy
You think a lot like Gavaskar - that hard words are acceptable, personal insults aren’t. I, perhaps, go one small step further - even personal insults are allowed (even though I do not deal them, I would not mind getting a few) but racial ones anren’t. similarly these racial sledgers are going several steps beyond our self-desgined limits. Now tell me, who is to say they are wrong?
The worl today teaches that winning is everything, and these players do likewise. Ayone who is till being polite is a noble man, and no one asked him to be one. Dravid - I think - comes in this category (although he used to be a reputed sledger before becoming captain) and that is why he was expecting it.
You may or may not respect Ajay jadeja but what he said one night on Cricket Controversies made some sense. “I have abused opponents in every way - size, colour, ability, intelligence - that came across my mind and hence I expect no less when playing.” Now this is a philosophy - and you just cannot say he is wrong to think like that in today’s world. He is allowed to do so.
It is like saying Big bazaar should not try to sell vegetables because it is unfair on the smaller vendors and they can make profits even without it. The Big Bazaar has no personal enmity to these smaller ones, but would definitely want to bite into their businiess.
January 17th, 2007 at 7:38 pm
If I ask you if cheating is okay for winning a game, you would say no. Similarly where I am concerned, even the given tactics I stated and not okay for winning a game.
My point is unrelated to being able to give it back to the opponents or even being mentally strong (some thing people mention while justifying sledging). Firstly, even if I am mentally strong, just because I am playing cricket, why should I crop abuse of all kinds from people. Cricket is part of the real world and if in the real world, I would not accept abuses, why should I take such nonsense on the field.
Secondly, I do not see the abuse test is necessary. I do not want players going into abuse battles (Sarwan-McGrath wasn’t pretty was it) or physical brawls on the field.
I can see many people not seeing any thing wrong but I do and excuses that cricket is a professional sport, it is all about winning do not really count because there are other sports which work well in terms of professional and winning without the sledging part.
May 15th, 2008 at 12:18 am
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