In defence of sledging

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Sledging gets a lot of bad press. Even the term 'sledging' has negative connotations, being an abbreviated form of the phrase "subtle as a sledgehammer". However, I submit that in it's greatest form, sledging is a subtle artform to be admired and appreciated.

Don't get me wrong. Sledging can and often does get ugly. Glenn McGrath's taunt to Sarwan was as obscene as it gets. Shane Warne's call of "Daryll" to any new batsman he fancies as a bunny is tedious and unimaginative (in fact, most of Warne's sledging is tedious and unimaginative). Graeme Smith's homophobic taunts towards Michael Vaughan were moronic and frankly, I'm a little mystified why a grown man would resort to such a schoolyard taunt. However, just as a violin mimics a screeching cat when played by an amateur, so to in the hands of a maestro, it can produce beautiful music. Similarly, a well conceived sledge is a piece of art. Warwick Todd sums it up perfectly:

"Verbal warfare is part and parcel of the game and moves to stamp it out are in my opinion misguided. I've been sledged at the crease ever since the day I began playing. In one of my very first matches I remember the wicket-keeper asking 'How's your wife? I r***ed her last night.' Naturally I didn't take this seriously - I was only eleven and the keeper involved was my brother Don - but it's been non-stop ever since."

Hmm, okay, maybe Toddy is not the best person to ask. Let's try Justin Langer's take instead:

"It's all fun. People put personal abuse and sledging under the same bracket but it's just not the case. In my career I've seen it get personal only once - McGrath and Sarwan. There's too much made of it. It should be appreciated as part of the game."

Cricket is a physical game of strength, speed and co-ordination but as England have proved this summer, the game is often won or lost mentally. That's why Test cricket is the purest and greatest form of the game. Five days of intense examination is a true test of a player's technique, skill and mental application. Sledging is a legitimate and tangible way to lay seeds of doubts in an opposition's mind. A dramatic example is Andrew Flintoff challenging Tino Best to "smash the window", goading Best into a stumping and a belly laugh from Freddie.

Cricket is of course meant to entertain and the conflicts between characters can bring a game to life. You can appreciate the light humor in the way Sangakkara heaps pressure on Shaun Pollock. And while Warne sledging Collingwood wasn't particularly attractive, Richie's little backhand at the end was pure Benaud.

So yes, sledging does often degenerate into a nasty part of the game. But at it's best, it's witty, entertaining and adds character to the game as some of my favourite sledges demonstrate:

• When Botham took guard in an Ashes match, Marsh welcomed him to the wicket with "So how's your wife and my kids?"


• Steve Waugh nicked one through to the keeper off Michael Holding. When Waugh refused to walk, Holding walked past muttering "Once a convict, always a convict".


• Javed Miandad labelled Merv Hughes a fat bus conductor. A few balls later Merv dismissed Javed and called "Tickets please".


• The way Shane Warne mentally dominated Daryll Cullinan is famous in Australia/South Africa matches. As Cullinan was on his way to the wicket, Warne told him he'd been waiting 2 years for another chance to humiliate him. Cullinan responded "Looks like you spent it eating".


• Malcolm Marshall to David Boon after he'd played and missed a few: "Now David, are you going to get out now or am I going to have to bowl around the wicket and kill you?"


• However, my favourite ever sledge was not only witty but contained a barb sure to get under the opposition's skin. Englishman James Ormond was greeted by Mark Waugh with "Mate, what are you doing out here, there's no way you're good enough to play for England" Ormond replied "Maybe not, but at least I'm the best player in my family".

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Posted by JC on Fri 2 Feb

6 comments

Let's not forget sledging from the general public either. Boonie, in his autobiography, mentions the very simply but very unnerving commment the public repeated to the Aussie players on their 1995 tour of the West Indies:

"Curtly's gonna kill you."

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Posted by TA on 2007-02-02 11:42:40

"Tickets Please" I think is my favourite counter-sledge of all time. I wish I had of been there to see it. :)

There's also this one, Glenn McGrath to Eddo Brandes of Zimbabwe: "Hey Eddo, why are you so ****ing fat?"

His reply: "Because everytime I **** your wife she gives me a biscuit."

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Posted by Timbo on 2007-02-02 11:43:29

I'm assuming Eddo's wife sledge to McGrath was before the Sarwan incident - noone would be that stupid/courageous.

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Posted by JC on 2007-02-02 12:19:21

The Waugh one is legendary! After the incident with Nixon and Symonds earlier the Sky commentators were all full of how the Aussies can give it but can't take it...they reckoned there's alot of one way streets in Australia!As for the crowd's sledging, I remember at Trent Bridge in 2001 leaving a bit early and after walking for ages still being able to hear the ground taunting Shane Warne re the obvious weight issue!!

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Posted by okbl on 2007-02-02 23:04:28

I enjoy the sledging it adds in2 the game making it look mor hilarious, the problem is the sledging in a bad way O rather a rude way

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Posted by Ishira Liyanage on 2008-03-16 04:18:42

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