Sledging Is Part Of The Game – It's Not Personal

Sledging has always been a part of cricket, and we’ve seen a lot of it so far in the current Ashes series. Former England man Matt Prior revealed this week that some of the current Three Lions squad are taking the comments from the Australians personally, but you have to remember the comments are just said in the heat of the battle.

- Paul Nixon

I was a keen chatter but knew where the line was. Everyone on that field knows it’s all about winning the match and lifting the Urn. People shouldn’t cross the line, but if someone has gone close to the mark, then it’s one of those where you have to blame the emotions of the game.

You hope people have got control, but Australia is a tough place to tour. We are still seeing the handshakes at the end of the game and these guys will still be sharing a beer come the end of a series.

It’s not uncommon in sport for emotions to get the better of you. Whether it’s football, rugby or cricket, things are often said on the field of play that aren’t meant to cause any real upset. You just want to get into an opponent’s mind and get their focus off the game.

The unfortunate thing is, though, that youngsters are seeing players getting in each other’s faces, pointing and having a few verbals, and seeing it as the norm. That’s not what we want. It turns newcomers away from the game if they are just getting bombarded when all they want to do is spend their Saturday afternoon having a good game.