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Sunil Gavaskar Reaffirms Anti-Sledging Stance
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Moneycontrol•13-10-2026, 17:28
Sunil Gavaskar Reaffirms Anti-Sledging Stance
- •Sunil Gavaskar and Ian Bishop recently spoke at an event hosted by the Cricket Section of Bombay Gymkhana to celebrate the life and legacy of Sir Garfield Sobers.
- •Gavaskar strongly criticized modern sledging, stating that it has become too personal and abusive, and emphasized that only the bat and ball should do the talking.
- •During his time as chairman of the ICC Cricket Committee, Gavaskar advocated for umpires to step in immediately rather than dismissing sledging as part of the game.
- •Gavaskar recalled how the dominant West Indies teams of the 1970s and 1980s avoided sledging because they considered it reprehensible, which made them widely loved.
Key Questions Answered
Sunil Gavaskar firmly believes that only the bat and ball should do the talking rather than players' mouths. He has argued that personal and abusive sledging should be stopped immediately by umpires from the very first instance.
Ian Bishop noted that West Indies players during their dominant eras rarely resorted to sledging because Caribbeans found such behavior reprehensible. This restraint contributed to why the West Indies team was widely loved.
Sunil Gavaskar and Ian Bishop shared their insights and memories at an event hosted by the Cricket Section of Bombay Gymkhana to celebrate the life and legacy of Sir Garfield Sobers.
