Gavaskar calls for tougher action against sledging

Cricket needs to take a leaf out of the books of golf and tennis in dealing with the sledging element which is detracting from cricket's appeal.

That was the view of Sunil Gavaskar, one of the leading batsmen of the 1970s and '80s, and the holder of the record for the most Test centuries (34) in his career, who yesterday delivered the annual Cowdrey Lecture at Lord's. With its subject matter based on the Spirit of Cricket message which was one of Cowdrey's administrative legacies to the game, Gavaskar attacked the modern verbalism in the same manner with which he used to dissemble opposing attacks.

Gavaskar said he was only dealing with an element of 10% of the world's Test players, but made no bones of the fact that the majority of those players were from the world champion Australian side.

"There is more money in other sports such as golf and tennis but, thanks to tough laws, one does not find misbehaviour or bad language there," he said. "The old adage 'it's not cricket', which applied to just about everything in life, is no longer valid - and that's a real pity. In the modern world of commercialisation of the game and the advent of satellite television and the motto of winning at all costs, sportsmanship has gone for six.

"Now I have heard it being said that whenever there's been needle in a match, words have been exchanged. That may be true, but what was banter in days gone by - and was enjoyed by everyone, including the recipient - today has degenerated to downright personal abuse."

That banter, when applied by the likes of England's Fred Trueman, could be witty, but sledging was less attractive because of the effect it had on young players who, because they saw the world champions indulging in the activity, came to believe that it was necessary to abuse the opposition to win. This caused a reluctance among parents to let their children play the game.

Gavaskar wondered whether the 1948 Australian side under Don Bradman, by common regard one of the finest of all touring sides, had resorted to sledging. He didn't know, but he did say that such was the fearsome attack the West Indies enjoyed under Clive Lloyd in the 1970s and 1980s that sledging wasn't required.

Gavaskar suggested that perhaps players should be protected from abusive opponents in the same way that umpires were protected under the game's code of conduct. Team coaches also had a duty to step in and stop the occurrence when it is indulged by younger players.