Slamming the current culture of sledging in Test cricket, former Australian batsman Bruce Laird has claimed that it is only a matter of time before it would lead to an on-field physical brawl.
Laird, who played 21 Tests for Australia between 1979-92, scoring 1341 runs at 35.3, had been renown for his courage and remains a well respected figure in cricket, particularly among the West Indies pace attack who he regularly stood up to.
Laird, who has no official role in cricket today, but still retains a passion for the game, said that these days they sledge '10 times' as much as his time in the game and it's getting 'out of control', News.com.au reported.
Also Read: India searches for right combination ahead of 4th Test vs Australia
He added that they 'never said anything', claiming that it would get to the stage where a fieldsman would get a bat 'wrapped around his head'. Laird claimed that if someone sledged him, he would have had a go at them.
He said that in the 1970s-80s, bowlers like Jeff Thomson never tried to hurt a player. Laird claimed that the notion of Ian Chappel starting it was 'false' and even Rod Marsh was against sledging.
Laird claimed that Chappell was 'really strong' on fieldsmen shutting up and bowlers never getting 'personal'. He added that he had 'no problem' with verbal taunts offered by a bowler and he claimed it to be 'very ugly' which kids would copy. He insisted that the players 'have to be pulled into line'.
Sledging has become common practice at Test level with the Australian team openly admitting to continuing it into the Sydney Test starting on Tuesday.
