Sledging is not cheating

[Bradman99]

I hate how people think that when a team sledges that it is cheating or is not in "the spirit of the game". It is not cheating at all, it is just a ploy used to give a team the mental edge over the batsman and put them off their game. So why is it people think that it's cheating? I don't understand.

[graphic23]

I think Gavaskar described it best in his recent interview:

I have never been against banter. But sledging is nothing really but abuse of the opposition. Sometimes players get away saying things to the opposition on the field that they would never get away with saying to anybody off the field. One day this might lead to a physical confrontation on the field. Why do you want get to that stage? Are you trying to tell me the Bradmans, the Benauds, the Cowdreys, the Soberses did that? They didn't. There might be a joke or two, where even the butt of the joke laughs. A little gamesmanship did not affect us either. Today it is not that.

I don't think many people call the Australian captain a cheat (or the team as cheats) because they sledge. It is the behavior that was seen at Sydney that really gets most of us riled up. When you've got a captain who's won 2 world cups, leads the best team to play cricket in the last 2 decades, you'd expect a certain amount of dignity and self-respect and respect towards the game. That would mean not claiming bumped catches (and then later not shouting at the media for asking him why he claimed that catch). Whether you call it "over enthusiasm", playing hard, or whatever it is, Australia have been poor with regards to convincing umpires to go their way, abusing the opposition under the name of "mental disintegration", etc. I don't claim to follow a team full of saints, but I know that when Harbhajan Singh or MS Dhoni comment on a batsman, they're not abusing their families, their personal lives, etc. Personally speaking, I admire the Australian professionalism, discipline, and their hard work to get where they are. But they are sore losers and even when they win, they're terrible - and I'm not saying this due to jealousy or whatever one might conjure up.

[Bradman99]

I think Gavaskar described it best in his recent interview: I don't think many people call the Australian captain a cheat (or the team as cheats) because they sledge. It is the behavior that was seen at Sydney that really gets most of us riled up. When you've got a captain who's won 2 world cups, leads the best team to play cricket in the last 2 decades, you'd expect a certain amount of dignity and self-respect and respect towards the game. That would mean not claiming bumped catches (and then later not shouting at the media for asking him why he claimed that catch). Whether you call it "over enthusiasm", playing hard, or whatever it is, Australia have been poor with regards to convincing umpires to go their way, abusing the opposition under the name of "mental disintegration", etc. I don't claim to follow a team full of saints, but I know that when Harbhajan Singh or MS Dhoni comment on a batsman, they're not abusing their families, their personal lives, etc. Personally speaking, I admire the Australian professionalism, discipline, and their hard work to get where they are. But they are sore losers and even when they win, they're terrible - and I'm not saying this due to jealousy or whatever one might conjure up.

Fair enough man, I wasn't saying that was the only reason people call Australia cheats I just see it associated to it a lot. I still strongly refuse that we are cheats though. But you make fair enough points the Sydney test was a bit out of control wasn't it, I admit there were some things done wrong during that test by the Aussies, but I don't think it was as one-sided bad as it was made out to be. Just on that "i know when harbajan singh and Dhoni comment on a batsmen, they're not abusing their families, personal lives" etc.. uhmm harbajan called symonds a monkey! No matter how much he rejects that, it's clear he did man.

[Bradman99]

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[Anakin]

Symmo called Uthappa baby gorilla, how come he along with few other idiots cried foul over monkey comment? The fact is sledging is not part of the game, and you're confusing banter with sledging.

[Chandan]

Fair enough man, I wasn't saying that was the only reason people call Australia cheats I just see it associated to it a lot. I still strongly refuse that we are cheats though. But you make fair enough points the Sydney test was a bit out of control wasn't it, I admit there were some things done wrong during that test by the Aussies, but I don't think it was as one-sided bad as it was made out to be. Just on that "i know when harbajan singh and Dhoni comment on a batsmen, they're not abusing their families, personal lives" etc.. uhmm harbajan called symonds a monkey! No matter how much he rejects that, it's clear he did man.

No point raising the monkey gate again. A neutral judge freed Harbhajan of any charge. But Australians did a wholesale damage to their image in that test and as you find out, it even destroyed the career of Symonds. Yesterday night also the way Ponting unsuccessfully appealed for a Collingwood catch, I'm sure an Indian captain would have been charged, fined heavily or even banned for overappealing and dissent. We saw what Mike Denness did to our team in SA way back in 2001. These are the reasons for which Australians are disliked. They play their cricket hard and always give 100% and the intensity shown by them against any opposition is unmatched. They are really admired for that quality too.

[Bradman99]

Cool fair enough. Also I didn't know about Symonds calling Uthappa a baby gorilla, that cahnges my opinion a fair bit actually. I disagree that it destroyed Symonds career though, he destroyed it for himself, he had numerous chances. But to be fined for unsuccessfully winning an appeal on Collingwood wood (get?) be a bit ridiculous in my mind, it's pretty much just calling him a cheat. I dont know if im bias or not but I still think we are a fair team. Maybe having Ponting as captain doesn't help the image.

[hari504504]

banter is something that isn't personal..racist comments,maa/behen etc don't come under that.. One of the best examples of a proper sledge(and a pretty successful one at that ) is flintoff sledging tino best - the epic- "Mind the windows Tino !"... noone would mind those kinda sledges which does enough to put players off their concentration

[Bradman99]

Warney was the best at sledging!

[hari504504]

Warney was the best at sledging!

flintoff is the best 'proper' seldger I've seen..and Mc.Grath the worst !

[Lord]

Fair enough man, I wasn't saying that was the only reason people call Australia cheats I just see it associated to it a lot. I still strongly refuse that we are cheats though. But you make fair enough points the Sydney test was a bit out of control wasn't it, I admit there were some things done wrong during that test by the Aussies, but I don't think it was as one-sided bad as it was made out to be. Just on that "i know when harbajan singh and Dhoni comment on a batsmen, they're not abusing their families, personal lives" etc.. uhmm harbajan called symonds a monkey! No matter how much he rejects that, it's clear he did man.

no it isnt,he called him 'maaki' which is an abuse too but not a racial one(infact in India,even monkey is not considered racial)

[DomainK]

Slegding is not cheating, its worse. It does equal damage and unlike cheating, it can not be stopped as there are no clear cut rules against it. Australians and others do it with impunity and get away laughing at everyone.

[DomainK]

no it isnt' date='he called him 'maaki' which is an abuse too but not a racial one(infact in India,even monkey is not considered racial)[/quote'] ++

[Bradman99]

no it isnt' date='he called him 'maaki' which is an abuse too but not a racial one(infact in India,even monkey is not considered racial)[/quote'] Whatever, Symonds doesn't know what that means and it sounds like he is sayin monkey. If he knows it offends him then why say it? Thats all. I didn't mean to bring this up even im over it, it was just in response to harbajan never saying anything bad or direspectful. Could a picked a better player imo.

[DomainK]

Whatever' date=' Symonds doesn't know what that means and it sounds like he is sayin monkey. [b']If he knows it offends him then why say it? Thats all. I didn't mean to bring this up even im over it, it was just in response to harbajan never saying anything bad or direspectful. Could a picked a better player imo.

Good question. Always wanted to ask that to the Aussies. Why sledge? Its bad. Show it in your cricket. So why do you think the Aussies do it?

[Lord]

Whatever' date=' Symonds doesn't know what that means and it sounds like he is sayin monkey. [b']If he knows it offends him then why say it? Thats all. I didn't mean to bring this up even im over it, it was just in response to harbajan never saying anything bad or direspectful. Could a picked a better player imo.

if u start getting offended by me calling u 'dude',would i stop calling u that?no way. n who says Bhajji knew it offended him.should he first ask Symmo n carry a list of things that offend Symmo?:haha:

[hari504504]

Good question. Always wanted to ask that to the Aussies. Why sledge? Its bad. Show it in your cricket. So why do you think the Aussies do it?

its isn't sledging..It's "mental disintegration". (I agree with the definition after seeing where symonds has ended up)

[Bradman99]

@domaink-i thought i clearly stated that this was just in reply to what he said, i'm not trying to make this into a huge comparison type thing. @lord- when the indian fans chanted out the monkey thing was a clear indicator he didnt like it.

[hari504504]

@domaink-i thought i clearly stated that this was just in reply to what he said, i'm not trying to make this into a huge comparison type thing. @lord- when the indian fans chanted out the monkey thing was a clear indicator he didnt like it.

That just reflects what they think of symonds as a person.. nothing racist there. Players from the west indies and south africa have toured India umpteen times..never once has there been a case of racist chants from the stands or from any player. Symonds endeared himself to the fans through his silly antics.

[Bradman99]

You see Aussies call Indians names all the time- so I'm not gonna go about complaining about this situation especially after Symonds called Uthapa a baby gorilla. I was simply just sayin in reply to the harbajan comment, i think he's a bit of a hothead.