The handbook for the league in which I play there are limits to what you can say to your opponents – go too far with the verbals and you can expect to receive some form of censure – quite right. There is also a bit in the handbook which makes it explicitly clear that sledging the juniors is prohibited. Quite right too, although some of the hill-billy types you end up playing against don’t seem to know about this and enjoy harassing our younger players – which really is not on. I am in favour of limits to sledging, being too aggressive or too insulting does nothing more than cause aggro. CricInfo would have us believe that the Indian’s want to ban sledging all together – this is ridiculous, completely lacking in logic. It is great to have some banter, and even greater to smite a mouthy bowler to the fence a few times to shut the f*cker up. If you ban sledging you’ll then have to ban bouncers (cause if sledging hurts too much then a smack in the chops definitely does too). What’s more, you’d probably have to ban fielders being too close to the bat, because it’ll hurt. Then you’ll start playing with a tennis ball, because it is safer.

Ridiculous move from a nation that seems to think it has the devine right to boss the game to the detriment of cricket lovers around the world (anyone else looking forward to seeing Shane Bond play against England? Not any more you’re not). Grow some balls and play the game like adults.

Speaking of sledging, here is Peirs Morgan writing on the subject . Much as I hate to agree with him on something, it supports the point I am trying to make.