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Should stump mics be turned off?
By Will last year, at the start of August Leave a comment on this post
Peter Moores, the England coach, has responded to criticism of England’s behaviour in the 2nd Test against India by suggesting stump microphones are switched off.
“There must be some things that are left on the field to be fair to the players,” Moores said in response to criticism of England’s incessent chatter during the Trent Bridge Test. “They should be allowed to go out there and play the game without being worried that everything they actually say is going to be broadcast. It’s something we’ve discussed as a management team and we’ve spoken to the match referee about it.”
The International Cricket Council rules that stump microphones be turned on whenever a ball is live - that is, when a batsman takes guard, between a bowler’s run-up to the time the ball reaches or passes a batsman, and from the time a fielder throws the ball back to a team-mate or onto the stumps.
It’s a confident reaction from a coach so new to international cricket and I agree, in part. Players should be allowed, within the law, to go hell for leather out there and say whatever they wish. This isn’t Question Time or an audience with the Queen. This is professional sport played by well-paid, talent individuals (supposedly) at the top of their game - and sledging is part of their armoury.
But, as a viewer, only once or twice have I ever heard a “live” sledge (Dean Jones was caught out, remember). Sky always tend to turn it down for viewers - though Matt Prior is, admittedly, probably the loudest England wicketkeeper I’ve ever heard, so it’s entirely plausible his yelps break through. And so what if they do? So what if we hear Prior, for example, call a batsman a gimp - or Zaheer thinks Pietersen’s a hermaphrodite. This has been going on since WG Grace first threw away his razor. Is society so pathetically sensitive, or naive, that it can’t handle the odd bit of banter between players fighting tooth and nail?
And if so…just turn it off and let everyone get on with it. If anything goes too far, the match referee can slap them with a fine or whatever.
You? Should they be turned on or off? Vote below, then leave your comments. If you can’t see the poll below, click here.
{democracy:31}
Tags: india-in-england, matt-prior, mic, microphones, Peter-Moores, sledging |
7 Responses to “Should stump mics be turned off?”
August 3rd, 2007 at 12.49 am
August 3rd, 2007 at 2.27 am
I for one love to hear players having a go.But comments in poor taste turns me off.
August 3rd, 2007 at 8.27 am
I remember n Australia’s last test tour to South Africa the same argument arose… I think it was Andy Symonds and Warney and Graeme Smith and Hershi Gibbs going at it… And the South African broadcasters were forgetting to turn off the stump mics when the ball was dead and one of the options on our digital tv here is to turn the commentary off so you can just here the effects…
This combination was brilliant, who wants to listen to the boring commentators when you can actually hear what is going on and what is being said in the middle… You could get most of the chit chat clear as a bell!
Anyway its part of the game, sledging starts in junior cricket when your like 13-14 years old and getting into the batsman for blocking or leaving too many balls or swinging and missing…
“He has more leaves than a tree” was one of ours from junior cricket, OR…
“More blocks than a Lego set” etc etc…
But once you getting to the mens grades it can be just as furious (if not more) than that we hear about at international level. But it is defiantly part of the game, and a tool that can be used to get the batsman out WHEN USED PROPERLY!!! Im not a big fans on personal attacks, on people mums or sisters etc… But getting into the mind of the batsman, casting doubt about his own ability, is gunna make him throw a false shot sooner or later…
You can’t take something like that, that is in all level of cricket, out of the game at only the highest level…
August 3rd, 2007 at 9.03 am
Lol, I definitly agree with Loz about it being a channel option. It might get more interesting than the actual criket sometimes..
Hey Will, couldn’t find any other contact - so using this comment box to do so.
I run a web2.0 company Frocca. We are on the lookout for guest columnist’s for our Indian Cricket League related website. It is currently #1 on google ranking for “Indian Cricket League” and with the features we have planned - we expect it to become the top resource for the ICL once it gains steam.
We would be happy to publish any articles on the ICL that represent your opinion, with a link to your blog so that you can get some more exposure and coverage.
Email me if you interested, and we’ll take it from there.
Regards,
Clive Fernandes
clive@frocca.com
August 3rd, 2007 at 1.10 pm
i think not, my hubby likes to listen and so do most people i know
however it makes no difference to me , being on the profoundly deaf side i read lips very well and Nixon and Prior have made my day on many occasions 
i can even see what they are saying anywhere else on the field as long as the tv cameras are pointing in the right direction and helmets offer no protectioon from my prying eyes 
August 7th, 2007 at 5.06 pm
“There must be some things that are left on the field”
which probably explains the pink jelly beans…
i can just imagine Zaheer sledging Pietersen: ‘you can’t bat, you are a useless hermaphrodite’ slap as another one disappears over cover; ‘you are capable of sexual reproduction without the assistance of another member of the species’- kerpoink as the next goes past his left ear etc.
leave the stump mikes on, but pull out prior’s tongue in the lunch interval in front of the kwik krikitters in their unnecessarily jaunty caps? a lesson for the next generation, indeed.
are you being sponsored by tag heuer and can i have a free watch please?
August 10th, 2007 at 6.07 pm
Definitely not.
Viewers have every right to know whats going on the ground and players are supposed to well behave because millions of people are watching them and their actions will set an example for future generations to come.
I agree in a game one needs to be aggressive, that doesn’t mean you show all your frustration and emotions with foul language and actions. Cool and calm and comment once in a while that to with words which play on mind and upset the batsmen with out any foul language.
But poor Prior 3rd Test he did not even utter a single word behind the stumps, must be difficult for him to be quiet.
