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NEW DELHI.
He’s a trained lawyer, so Kumar Sangakkara should know when it’s good to talk.
But put him as well as the cream of the world’s wicket-keepers and close-catching fielders out on the pitch, the mind games begin.
Like it or not, sledging in cricket has become an art form all of its own; some jibes are witty, others obscure, some pornographic but with so much at stake in the World Cup, captains and players will use any means to get an edge.
And Sri Lanka’s colourful Sangakkara is sharper than most.
On the eve of the last World Cup in the Caribbean, he became a star of the Internet thanks to his taunting of former South Africa’s Shaun Pollock at the 2003 edition when the hosts were under pressure fighting for their lives.
“How’s the pressure, skipper?” a smiling Sangakkara asked Pollock in comments picked up by the stump microphones as the South Africa skipper took guard.
“He’s going to let his whole country down, lads. Oh, the weight of expectations. Forty-two million people depending on Shaun.”
Although Pollock made 25 before being run out, Sri Lanka won the match on the Duckworth/Lewis method and a desperate Pollock was seen scratching his head in bemusement in the pavilion after his side had misunderstood the rain rules.
They were eliminated from the tournament and Pollock quit as skipper.
“There have been different experiences in the middle with a bit of a chat-up but nothing or special comes to mind,” said an unconvincing Sangakkara later.
“My honest opinion about sledging is that it doesn’t belong on the cricket field. It is not the way the game should be played. But there are instances when you are faced with verbal challenges, there are times when you have to put your foot down.
“When the challenge is taken up, things can get ugly. But I would never practise that or use it as a tactic.”
According to an online dictionary, sledging means “to bait (an opponent, especially a batsman in cricket) in order to upset his concentration; an insult aimed at another player during a game of cricket.
For former Australian captain Steve Waugh, it was “mental disintegration”.
Sledging has always been part of the game; the difference now is that highly-sensitive microphones pick up every word.
Despite the Australians’ reputation for being the kings of the sledgers, spin legend Shane Warne pleaded: ‘not guilty’. He reckons it’s the Kiwis.
“Whether they just reserve it for us because of the geographical rivalry I don’t know, but sometimes it feels like being in an aviary full of twittering birds,” he said in his autobiography.
He also singled out former South Africa all-rounder Brian McMillan, who had once warned Warne that he intended to take him fishing and “use you as bait for the sharks”.
Warne said sledging from England fielders helped fire him up to make a rapid 71 in his last Test in Sydney in 2007.
“A few of them decided to have a bit of a say,” said Warne. “That’s fair enough. No drama. It just made me concentrate a bit more. Some days it works, some days it doesn’t.”
Ian Maynard, an English college sports psychology professor, believes sledging can be countered.
“Sticks and stones may break my bones, but saying that you have made love to my wife is only your way off putting me off so I am going to smile at you, acknowledge it and carry on doing what I am really good at.”
Maynard offered advice on how to combat it.
“Breathe, talk, play. A couple of breaths to take the focus away from the thought, a key phrase to take you back to the here and now and then get on with it.”
Ahead of the 2011 Cricket World Cup, AFP Sport presents some of the best (or worst) sledging exchanges down the years
Rod Marsh and Ian Botham: When Botham took guard in an Ashes match, Marsh welcomed him with: “So how’s your wife and my kids?” to which Botham shot back: “The wife’s fine, but the kids are retarded.”
South Africa batsman Daryll Cullinan and Aussie spin wizard Shane Warne: As Cullinan was on his way to the wicket, Warne told him he had been waiting two years for another chance to humiliate him. “Looks like you spent it eating,” Cullinan retorted.
Robin Smith of England and Australian fast bowler Merv Hughes: Hughes said to Smith after he played and missed: “You can’t ******* bat”. Smith to Hughes after he smacked him to the boundary: “Hey Merv, we make a fine pair. I can’t ******* bat and you can’t ******* bowl.”
Hughes and Pakistan’s Javed Miandad: Javed called Hughes a fat bus conductor. A few balls later Hughes dismissed the Pakistan star: “Tickets please”, said Hughes as he ran past the departing batsman.
England’s James Ormond had just come out to bat and was greeted by Australia’s Mark Waugh: Waugh from the slips: “What are you doing out here? There’s no way you’re good enough to play for England.” Ormond: “Maybe not, but at least I’m the best player in my family.”
Warne and Sri Lanka skipper Arjuna Ranatunga: Wicketkeeper Ian Healy believed he knew a way of tempting the portly Ranatunga out of his crease — “Put a Mars Bar on a good length. That should do it.”
England captain Douglas Jardine and Australian counterpart Bill Woodfull during the notorious Bodyline series: After Jardine complained that one of the Australian players called him a b******. Woodfull turned to his team, pointed to Jardine and asked: “Which one of you b******* called this b****** a b******?”
Sunil Gavaskar of India and West Indies’ Viv Richards: Gavaskar, normally an opener, had decided to bat at number four, but Malcolm Marshall dismissed Anshuman Gaekwad and Dilip Vengsarkar for ducks, setting the stage for Gavaskar to walk in at 0-2. Richards said: “Man, it don’t matter where you come in to bat, the score is still zero.”
Richards and England fast bowler Greg Thomas: Thomas: (Describing the ball) “It’s red, round and weighs about five ounces, in case you were wondering.” Richards: (Having smacked said ball out of the ground) “You know what it looks like, now you go and find it”. — AFP.