Mind the Windows Tino: How to Turn Mindless Chatter into Mental Disintegration
Are you an intelligent effective sledger or simply an abusive unoriginal fool?
We have all come across the person who states the obvious facts about the batsman’s weight, equipment or even their hair style.
Sometimes it’s quite funny. Especially the first time you hear the classic line as the overweight batter walks in, “Watch for the quick singles here.”
But by crossing the line of personal abuse the fielder is wasting his time.
He has strayed into a territory that the batsman just disregards as background noise; as relevant to his innings or the game situation as the birds singing or the cars driving past.
This is because the key to effective sledging is to get into the batsman’s head, not make your team-mates giggle quietly.
Make his brain focus on something other than the next ball he is about to face because sledging is more about what you don’t say.
Kumar Sangakarra recently said the best sledge he ever received was from Nasser Hussain who simply kept calling him “cymbals” whilst he was batting.
Many a cricketer would have heard this term, a reference aimed at a wicket-keepers unorthodox way of taking the ball.
But Hussain’s decision to use this term whilst Sangakarra was batting rather than keeping was the key to this sledge: it made Sangakarra think about something else close to him rather than his batting.
Making a batsman doubt their ability to bat is one thing, but making them doubt their other discipline outside their current situation is genius.
Paul Nixon is the best sledger to ever play for England, and whilst keeping wicket behind Ricky Ponting (who was in great form at the time) in 2007 he produced a conscious display of this tactic.
Nixon admitted he could have not competed with Ponting on a technical level of batting and knew any attempt to sledge him about his batting would be a waste of an opportunity.
Instead he tried to take Ponting out of the present and into the future.
Nixon knew that his best way to disrupt Ponting’s innings was to push his focus away from his current innings.
He went down the line of questioning Ponting about his team for next week’s first Test.
Did he know how many bowlers he was going to take? Was the wicket expected to turn? What was the tea like; anything to remove him from the present.
So next time you feel the need to implement a mental battle with a batsman, think about your angle before you start the chat.
Are you going to try to cause doubt, remove them from the present or try to subtly add pressure?
One well directed comment does more damage than 10 fielders constantly chatting rubbish.
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Comments
I think friendly chatter can be 100x more effective than insults. Because its so seemingly inocuous it can really distract a batsman if you plant the right thoughts, and besides, its best to keep in friendly because, no-one wants their club to get a reputation for being a bunch of sledging *******s.
One of my proudest ones was last season - we're quite vocal in the field, and were encouraging each other to get behind the ball. One young teenager at midwicket failed to stop a boundary, and the opposition star batsmen, clearly irked by the chatter in the field, sarcastically commented "talk about putting your body on the line" loud enough for everyone to hear. Well I was standing at slip, and said to the keeper, just loud enough for the batsman to hear: "fancy sledging a little handicapped kid, that's outrageous". Well anyway, the batsman went bright red with embarassment and played all around the next ball and lost his middle stump.
More dubious is shouting "NOOOO runs to your arm, smithy" just as the batsmen are turning for a second run, and watching as they both come to a standstill mid-pitch.
What a disgraceful article....look up Spirit of Cricket!!!!
@si
just sayin mate theres nothing in the sprit of cricket saying your not allowed to talk to the opposition team...
I've looked up the spirit of cricket. Now what?
There is a fine line between encouraging your own team and deliberately antagonising the batsman. I never condone anyone on my team talking to the batsman in anything but a respectful and friendly manner.
Something that has worked well for my team is shouting out "In hard!" as the batsmen are halfway down the wicket for a quick single. They usually dive unnecessarly dive into the crease and hurt themselves.
@Anon.... yes well thats not exactly in the spirit of things
Having said that, I dont think this article is 'disgraceful'.. on field chatter has a rightful place in the game (when done with proper regard for the spirit of the game).. and quite seriously, its charachter building: boys learning the game can really benefit from learning how to block out external pressure/distractions, develop the ability to concentrate under duress - and thats a valuable lesson for life itself. sport is always at its best when its a meaphor for real life!
And just a reminder that sledging junior cricketers is looked upon particularly unfavourably and is likely to lead to disciplinary action being taken if a complaint is raised.
Even if you think it's in the spirit of the game, or the kids are bantering back, I'm sure I'm not the only one who's heard of cases where junior players have almost encouraged verbal exchanges and then claimed verbal abuse/harrassment.
I blogged (shameless plug for rarely visited Wordpress site...) on attitudes to sledging back in the summer. I came to a similar conclusion - sledging is going to happen, and it is normally fine so long as it stays within bounds.
But the question I still can't answer is how to coach younger players to cope with sledging. Ignore it? Turn it into a joke and laugh it off? Any suggestions?
re AB's "no runs to you, smithy" and anon's "in hard". I have seen it, probably tried it. Been caught out by it, too.
But are we getting close to deliberate distraction or obstruction of batsman (law 42, 5) with this?
Is there an umpire here?
I think we should be teaching young batsmen to work on ignoring it. People, especially youngsters, get bored very quickly saying stuff to a guy who doesn't register it and carries on batting. The sledging is not so forthcoming when you are 100 not out I notice.
Some people thrive on it, but for most the best tactic is to let it pass by like a cloud in the sky - of no consequence to your game.
As for Law 42.5, it's down to the umpire on the day to decide. I'd suggest that "no runs to you" is acceptable but "in hard" is very close to the line. Although you would have to be very green to fall for it as a batsman: you should, after all, be looking!
I'd suggest there's a line to be drawn somewhere between "no runs to you" and "quick, the fat f*****'s got no chance to your arm!"