Former Australia captain Mark Taylor plays down sledging problem
Friday 4 November 2016 13:59, UK
Former Australia captain Mark Taylor has played down the significance of sledging despite the coroner examining Phillip Hughes' death labelling it cricket's "ugly underside".
Hughes, who played 26 Tests, died from bleeding on the brain in November 2014 after being hit on the neck by a rising ball while batting for South Australia against New South Wales in a domestic match at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
During his inquest, concerns were raised by Hughes' family about on-field sledging, or abuse, which they felt may have unsettled him.
On Friday, New South Wales coroner Michael Barnes said it was "difficult to accept" no sledging had occurred but that "even if the threats were made, they did not affect Phillip's composure so as to undermine his capacity to defend himself against short-pitched, high bouncing bowling and so the threats could not be implicated in his death."
Barnes went on to question whether sledging had any place in the game, adding: "Hopefully, the focus on this unsavoury aspect of the incident may cause those who claim to love the game to reflect upon whether the practice of sledging is worthy of its participants.
"An outsider is left to wonder why such a beautiful game would need such an ugly underside."
But Taylor, who featured in 104 Tests for Australia, says umpires have the authority to crack down on the practice if they believe it is getting out of hand.
"The game needs a competitive edge to it, but it doesn't need a lot of rubbish talk," he said. "Sledging is something that has always been talked about regularly, but the umpires should step in if they think it is over the top."
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And Cricket Australia chief James Sutherland agreed with Taylor insisting officials should use the powers at their disposal when they feel the situations merits their intervention.
"When that line is crossed, people should pay the price for crossing that line and I can only encourage the umpires and relevant officials to take action when it is appropriate", he said.
