da bet7： Steve Waugh has won more matches as captain than Clive Lloyd
The Wisden CricInfo Interview by Anand Vasu23-Aug-2003Steve Waugh has won more matches as captain than Clive Lloyd. His team, though, are habitual offenders when it comes to breaches of the code of conduct. You could never say that about Lloyd. He’s proud of the fact that his men played the game in the spirit it was meant to be played in. As captain, he wasn’t afraid to enforce the law; as match referee, he’s paid to do so. Speaking exclusively to Wisden CricInfo, Lloyd lays down the law. How serious is the problem of sledging?
Well, to be honest we have not had a spate of incidents or anything. Byand large things have been under control. There was the McGrath-Sarwanincident in the West Indies and I suppose that was highlighted a lot.But it’s covered in the code of conduct. If it was such a problem, thenthe umpires and referees have a right to step in. Sledging is notallowed in our code of conduct.Where does gamesmanship end and sledging begin?
I have refereed for quite a while and haven’t had any problems. We hadone problem with Darren Lehmann, but that comment was made while he wascoming off the field. So I wouldn’t really call that sledging. He made a very unacceptable comment and was punished for that. So I think it’svery clear where we all stand when it comes to sledging. People mustunderstand that it’s simply not allowed. It’s not about what’sacceptable and what isn’t.But there are other ways to show aggression. A fast bowler can pepper a tailender with bouncers and intimidate ?
Well, you’re not allowed to do that either. Once it is picked up that abowler or a team is trying to intimidate someone the umpires must stepin. Then that’s it, and the team that’s trying to intimidate is forcedto change their tactics. You can bowl as many short-pitched deliveriesas you want, as long as the bowler is not seeking to cause bodily harm.It’s entirely up to the umpire to see if it’s intimidating.What is the role of the captain in all this?
The captain is in charge of his team, or should be. Sledging didn’t happen in my time and there’s really no reason it should happen now. Because there have been a few incidents, the ICC have done what they needed to. The laws have also been changed to reflect this. In certain cases ?like slow over-rates ?the captain is charged double if he fails to get things going within the rules.Would it be fair to say that behaviour standards in general havedeteriorated?
We’ve always had one or two problems, there’s no doubt about that. OneDifference, though, is that the match referee now has a very clear brief. There’s a code of conduct in place that everybody knows about well in advance. Before tournaments and matches you have briefings and the law is laid down. The players know exactly what they should be doing, and equally what they should not be doing. In that sense there’s no excuse for any breaches.Are the current laws effective enough?
I think the laws are effective enough as they are. The players need tobe more aware of the role they play. After all, they’re in a position to influence a lot of people ?especially youngsters. Whether they like it or not they’re going to be looked at as role models. Television nowplays such a big part in cricket. Every thing you do on the field iswatched, replayed and analysed. A lot of things that might have beenmissed before are highlighted now. So naturally, players must beconscious that a lot of young people are watching them ?and they must act accordingly.Do the umpires have enough authority to enforce the code?
The umpires still have a lot of authority. Even now, they’re the peoplewho can bring the charges against any player. They’re out in the middleand in the thick of things and that’s how it should be. They can give as much leeway is required. When the rules are broken they bring things to the referee and only then is a punishment meted out.Essentially, what causes people to sledge?
People can get frustrated quite easily at the highest level. If it’s afast bowler, sometimes it’s hot and the conditions are against you.There’s nothing in the wicket and a batsman is having an easy time ofit. Then when a decision goes against them, they get really annoyed andsomething snaps. It’s not as though they’re bad characters. They have to understand that at moments like this, they have to curb themselves and mind their manner. If they don’t, they could easily put their side in a detrimental position. Not only can you be banned, but you can lose your place in the side for a couple of games.Sunil Gavaskar said recently that your fast bowlers didn’t have toresort to sledging ?
Our fast bowlers were brought up in the right manner. We just wanted toget players out. We’ve never believed in cheating and we genuinely wantthe game to be played in the right spirit. That’s one thing cricket hasalways had. When something’s not right, you say `it’s not cricket’. Youdon’t say `it’s not football’ or `it’s not golf.’ So yes, you should bepassionate, but if you’re beaten then you have to accept that and moveon. There’s always another day, another game.