Australia Without Sledging Are Like Gangsters Without Guns, Says Dean Jones
The on-field chatter has become a point of discussion in the last few series. If Australia's David Warner has overstepped his mark more than once, India's Virat Kohli has been in the centre of focus as well.
The cricket world is divided on its opinion about sledging. For a few, it is an intense show of passion, while for the rest, it is just plain bad behaviour. Australians, the pioneers of on-field verbal combat, have always encouraged a few words on the field. They don't call it sledging, they label it as 'mental disintegration'.
Dean Jones, the former Australia batsman, was never short of a word during his playing days. He believed that a little bit of chirp on the field is good for the game and said that if Australia were to stop sledging, they would be like gangsters without guns. (Kohli Needs Maturity: Steve Waugh)
Talking to NDTV, Jones quipped, "Australia without sledging will be like gangsters without their guns. It will be like Chris Gayle without the tattoos on his arms." (Kohli in Trouble After Scribe Reports to ICC)
He then, jokingly added that Australia isn't the only team that sledges, India do it too and they do it in a language that the Australians don't understand, "Hindi!"
The on-field chatter has become a point of discussion in the last few series. If Australia's David Warner has overstepped his mark more than once, India's Virat Kohli has been in the centre of focus as well.
The ICC has fined players for getting into feuds and even has warned players before the World Cup 2015 but that hasn't really put a stop to sledging.
Should sledging be done away with completely?
A little bit of banter spices up the game for sure but it should be punishable if it goes past the line. Then again, whose line is it anyway!