Sledging (cricket)

Sledging is the practice in cricket of insulting opponents to break their concentration and cause them to make mistakes. Sledging is effective because the batsman stands within hearing range of the bowler and certain fielders. The aim is to intimidate or distract the batsman into making a fatal mistake and being dismissed. There is debate in the cricketing world over whether this is poor sportsmanship or good-humoured banter.

Origin

According to Ian Chappell, ["The Lingo: Listening to Australian English", Graham Seal, University of New South Wales Press, 1999, ISBN 086840-680-5, page 141] "sledging" originated from Adelaide, South Australia in the 1963-1964 or 1964-1965 Sheffield Shield season. A cricketer who swore in the presence of a woman was taken to be like a sledgehammer. Thus, directing insults or obscenities at the opposition team became known as "sledging".

It is sometimes reported that the 1960s origin of the term is somehow connected to the popularity of 1960s American soul singer Percy Sledge. However, as the term "sledging" dates from 1965 at the very latest, and Percy Sledge did not issue his first recordings until mid-1966, this is demonstrably untrue. It is possible, however, that Sledge's later popularity kept the term in the public eye.

ledging in recent times

Sledging came into the spotlight again during the Indian tour of Australia 2007/08 where Harbhajan Singh could receive a three-match ban for allegedly racially abusing Andrew Symonds. But this was not proved and the ban on Harbhajan was lifted. Harbhajan was instead charged with a Level 2.8 offence - abuse and insult not amounting to racism - to which he pleaded guilty and was fined 50 per cent of his match fees. [ [http://content-ind.cricinfo.com/ausvind/content/story/333986.html Cricinfo - Harbhajan racism charge not proven - Hansen ] ] .Symonds also agreed to the fact that it was he who started the sledging by using the word "fuck" [ [http://icc-cricket.yahoo.com/media-release/2008/january/media-release20080130-59.html-->] ]

Common sledging scenarios

There are three main types of sledging.

Wicket-keeper to batsman

Wicketkeepers frequently sledge batsmen, who must face the bowler. The wicketkeeper usually seemingly talks to himself, but with a voice loud enough for the batsman to hear. Frequently the wicketkeeper intimidates the batsman with comments about the bowling, sometimes by congratulating the bowler, a famous example of this was Australian wicket-keepers Adam Gilchrist and Ian Healy repeatedly shouting "Bowling, Shane" after many of Shane Warne's deliveries throughout his career. Sometimes the wicketkeeper or slip fielders encourage the batsman to "slog" the ball, risking being bowled out, stumped, or caught making a rash stroke. For example, during the West Indies tour of England in 2004, Andrew Flintoff sledged the tail-ender Tino Best by saying "Mind the windows, Tino!" Tino was stumped next ball trying to hoist the ball into the stands.

Bowler to batsman

Fast bowlers constitute most sledge bowlers, because sledging works most effectually for their style of bowling: their fast run-up means that they tend to continue to travel towards the batsman after delivering the ball, and often finish their follow-through close to the batsman. Bowlers are particularly likely to pass comment after a "bouncer", or a ball misplayed by the batsman. The wicketkeeper is likely to be some distance behind the stumps, away from the batsman, for fast bowlers, putting them in a poorer position for sledging. Spinners occasionally try to encourage the batsman to step out of his crease, or play a rash shot, thus risking his wicket. When the spinner is bowling, wicket keepers, who are closer to the wicket for this kind of bowler, often sledge the batsman from behind the stumps.Fact|date=February 2007

Batsman to bowler

Although a rare scenario, the batsman sometimes sledges the bowler, whose mistakes are less critical than those committed by the batsman. Javed Miandad of Pakistan was one such batsman who used to constantly chirp around, forcing the bowler to make a mistake. Sledging can cause the bowler to deliver a short or wide ball, offering the batsman an increased chance of hitting a boundary shot; in addition, sledging can sometimes break the bowler's rhythm.Fact|date=February 2007

Cultural views on sledging

Because cricket is an international sport, opinions on sledging can differ considerably, leading to many cultural misunderstandings and controversies.

England

Sledging was traditionally seen as a prime example of a practice that was "not cricket" (that is, not fair play), and was generally deemed unsporting. Mild forms of sledging occurred in the English game, but personal attacks were seen as unacceptable. In recent years, English cricket has adopted a more Australian competitive streak, and sledging has become more common. Fact|date=February 2007 Sledging in English club and village cricket is also common; it ranges from simple questioning of the batsman's skill to doubtful comments about his parentage, his sexuality, or the appearance of his genitals.Fact|date=March 2008

Australia & New Zealand

In Australia and New Zealand, adult males commonly insult each other as part of social relations, particularly in sport; they believe that "What's said on the pitch stays on the pitch". In this cultural context, sledging is not seen as a negative issue. However issues of race are frowned upon (see Second Test, 2007-08 Border-Gavaskar Trophy, as are "serious" comments towards family members such as children or wives.

outh Africa

The white South African and Zimbabwean societies are very similar to Australian and New Zealand society, because players sledge each other humorously.

West Indies

West Indian teams sometimes use witty sledges on western teams; however, racial or cultural slights are interpreted very negatively.Fact|date=February 2007

outh Asia

South Asian societies—such as India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh— have a very strong concept keeping face. Personal insults are seen as unacceptable and uneducated. When cricket was first introduced to the westernised 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 difficult to accept sledging in the Australasian fashion. Controversies have risen out of these differing cultural mores. Fact|date=February 2007

In recent years, however, South Asian teams have become adept at sledging in their own fashion. One notable example is Sri Lanka's team, which has used Australian coaches and coaching methods since the mid-1990s. Western commentators have sometimes 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.

Sourav Ganguly, captain of the Indian team in the early 2000s, used the Australian style of sledging on the Australians in the 2000-2001 series. His encounters with the Australian captain, Steve Waugh, were played up in both the Indian and the Australian media.

Sledging in other sports

Although sledging is most well-known within cricket, it also happens in other sports, notably rugby, basketball (in which the similar practice of trash talking takes place), and football. The Zidane incident at the final of the 2006 World Cup appears to rival the instances within cricket. Baseball also offers opportunities for similar comments between batter and catcher: Rod Marsh's famous "How's your wife and my kids?" to Ian Botham was used in the 1989 US baseball movie Major League as just such a remark. [ [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0097815/quotes Major League (1989) - Memorable quotes ] ]

References

ee also

* Woofing
* Trash talk

ources

* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/funny_old_game/3068365.stm Lighter examples of sledging - BBC Sport]
* [http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/08/06/1091732055253.html?from=storylhs&oneclick=true The Age - Warne Sledge]
* [http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/01/04/1073151212472.html?from=storyrhs&oneclick=true Sledging part of Latham's cricket days - The Melbourne Age]
* [http://www.cricket.mailliw.com/tag/sledging The Corridor's sledging page]
* [http://www.mumbaimirror.com/net/mmpaper.aspx?Page=article&sectid=2&contentid=20080107200801070339011711cce3d8d Australian Cricket Classic Sledging Examples]