Shut it! Ex-skipper Mark Taylor says Australia may ban sledging after recent fair play scandal

The cheating crisis in the third test followed an ill-tempered start to the series

2-MIN READ2-MIN

South African fans hold a banner as they mock Australia cricket players during day one of the fourth cricket test. Photo: AFP

Published: 8:03am, 2 Apr 2018Updated: 8:02am, 2 Apr 2018

Former captain Mark Taylor said on Sunday that Cricket Australia were considering a ban on sledging, or verbal taunting, after the ball-tampering scandal and fractious current test series with South Africa.

The cheating crisis in the third test, which saw Steve Smith and David Warner stripped of the captaincy and vice-captaincy and banned from the sport for a year, followed an ill-tempered start to the series. Cameron Bancroft was also suspended for nine months.

When asked if a ban on sledging was “a possibility”, Taylor, a Cricket Australia board member, told broadcaster Channel Nine: “Absolutely. You are not going to stop people talking out on the field. Talking is one thing,” he added.

Australia’s David Warner and South Africa’s Quinton de Kock were embroiled in heavy duty sledging during the current test series. Photo: Reuters

“Abusing, sledging ... bullying, verbalising whatever you want to call it is another thing. It’s gone too far.”

The practice of sledging – taunting opponents verbally on the field with the aim of distracting them – has been in the spotlight after Warner and South Africa’s Quinton de Kock were involved in a physical confrontation during the first test.

Warner had said the confrontation was triggered by a jibe about his wife, reportedly in retaliation after De Kock was sledged by the Australian.

Shut it! Ex-skipper Mark Taylor says Australia may ban sledging after recent fair play scandal

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}The cheating crisis in the third test followed an ill-tempered start to the series

The cheating crisis in the third test followed an ill-tempered start to the series