Sledging part of the game, but there's a line AB de Villiers
Imran Tahir and David Warner were the latest to be involved in a verbal exchange in the recently-concluded five-match One-Day International series between South Africa and Australia. In a series where history was made with Australia being handed their first-ever whitewash in the format, Tahir copped a fine of 30 per cent for behaviour that was deemed to be contrary to the spirit of the game.
With a number of heated exchanges between different players from either side in the past, it was no surprise. AB de Villiers, the South African captain who missed out on the bilateral one-day series and will also sit out of the away Test series with an elbow injury, felt that sledging is a key part of the game but a line should seldom be crossed while indulging in it. He also said that the last Test series that the two teams had contested in, was the worst sledging he has witnessed on a cricket field.
"I think it's (sledging) always been part of the game, and I want it to be part of the game forever, and I'd be very sad to see that go. But obviously there is a line, and it's not nice to cross that line, that's how I feel about it."
The three-Test series of 2014 that was hosted by South Africa was the finest kind of exhibition of Test cricket; it was hard-fought with some fierce battles between players as Australia prevailed 2-1 and snatched the No.1 Test ranking from the South Africans. With cricket of such intensity being played, verbal duels surfaced more than just a few times.
"That was definitely the most abuse we've got on the cricket field," de Villiers was quoted as saying on Fox Sports on Monday (October 17). "When we play England, it's pretty verbal. I also remember touring Australia in 2006 as a youngster, with the likes of Warne and McGrath and Gilly behind the stumps. Still, that was nowhere near what we received in 2014. Australia certainly made a conscious effort to be verbally over the top.
"Maybe they felt they could get under us if they really came out and got personal with some of us. I felt it was unnecessary. Some of the Australian players came up and apologised and felt that it was a little bit over the top ... certainly at times they did go over the top and I think they regret that in some way," he added.
However, he did not take away credit from Australia for having won the series and makes it clear that the verbal aspect had little to do with it. "Ultimately we just didn't play cricket well enough in that series. I don't think the verbal stuff played a role in any way whatsoever. At the end of the day, they played a better Test match in the first and the third one.
With a number of heated exchanges between different players from either side in the past, it was no surprise. AB de Villiers, the South African captain who missed out on the bilateral one-day series and will also sit out of the away Test series with an elbow injury, felt that sledging is a key part of the game but a line should seldom be crossed while indulging in it. He also said that the last Test series that the two teams had contested in, was the worst sledging he has witnessed on a cricket field.
"I think it's (sledging) always been part of the game, and I want it to be part of the game forever, and I'd be very sad to see that go. But obviously there is a line, and it's not nice to cross that line, that's how I feel about it."
The three-Test series of 2014 that was hosted by South Africa was the finest kind of exhibition of Test cricket; it was hard-fought with some fierce battles between players as Australia prevailed 2-1 and snatched the No.1 Test ranking from the South Africans. With cricket of such intensity being played, verbal duels surfaced more than just a few times.
"That was definitely the most abuse we've got on the cricket field," de Villiers was quoted as saying on Fox Sports on Monday (October 17). "When we play England, it's pretty verbal. I also remember touring Australia in 2006 as a youngster, with the likes of Warne and McGrath and Gilly behind the stumps. Still, that was nowhere near what we received in 2014. Australia certainly made a conscious effort to be verbally over the top.
"Maybe they felt they could get under us if they really came out and got personal with some of us. I felt it was unnecessary. Some of the Australian players came up and apologised and felt that it was a little bit over the top ... certainly at times they did go over the top and I think they regret that in some way," he added.
However, he did not take away credit from Australia for having won the series and makes it clear that the verbal aspect had little to do with it. "Ultimately we just didn't play cricket well enough in that series. I don't think the verbal stuff played a role in any way whatsoever. At the end of the day, they played a better Test match in the first and the third one.
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