FOR a sport that prides itself on gentlemanly traditions and gentle pace, cricket finds itself wallowing in a cesspit of its own making on a surprisingly regular basis.
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And for a sport played at a serious level in only a handful of countries, cricket has punched well above its weight for controversy throughout its past, and even moreso in recent years.
Australia’s current Test series against South Africa is only half-done but already the action off the field has been as explosive as the (very high quality) action on it.
The First Test was marred by the ugly confrontation between Australian vice-captain David Warner and South African wicketkeeper Quintin de Kock outside the teams’ change rooms while the Second Test will be remembered for South African fast bowler Kagiso Rabada’s bump on Steve Smith after taking his wicket in the first innings and furious send-off for Warner after taking his wicket in the second.
The Warner-de Kock confrontation, which came after de Kock allegedly made a disparaging comment about Warner’s wife, left the sporting world again debating the place that “sledging” has in competitive sport and whether there was a line that should not be crossed. It’s an external argument in sport of all codes and determining the rights and wrongs is an inexact science.
But while Warner received warm support after claiming he flew at de Kock to defend his wife’s honour, the man who wears the crown of being his team’s chief sledger also left others believing he could hand it out much better than he could take it.
The reality is, the line that should not be crossed then it will be a different line for every player.
It might be fine to say players should not “get personal” but, again, we’re dealing in shades of grey rather than black and white and so “the line” is merely a mirage.
Simply, sledging is an all or nothing affair. Either players and administrators must accept nothing is off limits or they must work to stamp out sledging altogether.
At its best, sport – and cricket, in particular – is the greatest of all theatre: exciting, compelling, unscripted and surprising.
We cheer for the heroes and howl at the villains, and when we tune in we know we’ll never see the same show twice.
But the inane name-calling and gutter abuse that passes for sledging only brings the game into disrepute.
The sooner it’s banned the better.
