Authorities risk producing characterless cricketers after Stokes' latest demerit point : N Hussain

[Abdullah719]

By Nasser Hussain

I'm just going to add to the "ridiculous" comments where Ben Stokes' demerit point is concerned.

It is just very odd that after the frustration of a whole day, the ball gets edged down to third man, he turns away from the batsman and lets out an expletive to extra cover - if that is going to get you a point then you aren't going to have many players left on the field.

I am not condoning swearing and the use of swear, kids copy etcetera but you can't have a situation where you are just going to produce characterless cricketers that don't care.

Stokes is brilliant for the game of cricket, he really is. He has to have a look at himself at times because it can't always be someone else's fault - it's a little bit like Mario Balotelli, "why always me?" with Stokes but it is because of the way he plays his cricket.

He plays with his heart on his sleeve, he has a lot of passion and it makes him the cricketer that he is.

We certainly don't want to be knocking that passion out of cricketers. For goodness sake, match referees have been out there and played the game, they must remember that they played with so I think it was a really, really odd one today.

http://www.skysports.com/cricket/ne...ame-and-punishment-is-odd-says-nasser-hussain

 

[kingusama92]

I agree.

Penalizing someone for cussing is soft.

It's quite odd as a North American where our sports are filled with expletives especially the NHL. They straight up cuss at the referees.

I understand if its directed at a fan but between players is lame.

 

[Saffer_XIII]

Wonder if he was just as vocal when the same thing happened to Rabada

 

[SM1989]

I hate passionate and arrogant players. Cricket is a gentleman's game. Stokes deserves it.

 

[Enigmatic_786]

Stokes has been abusive to the opposition for years, maybe this is karma...

 

[HitWicket]

Wonder if he was just as vocal when the same thing happened to Rabada

Pretty sure he criticised the Rabada punishment as well? And that's before you consider that Rabadas violation was directed verbal abuse whilst Stokes was just undirected swearing. The lack of an uproar after the cries of racism, discrimination and "we'd never see the likes of Stokes, Kohli and Smith punished like this" on threads that spanned pages on this forum after the Rabada incident is hilarious.

 

[GoUgandaCranes]

Cussing builds character??

 

[James]

Wonder if he was just as vocal when the same thing happened to Rabada

He was, along with the majority of English commentators. Guys like Botham and Nasser come from an era where cricket was a man's game, before all of this T20 nonsense.

 

[KhalidRafi]

Deserved it.

 

[CricketAnalyst]

He was, along with the majority of English commentators. Guys like Botham and Nasser come from an era where cricket was a man's game, before all of this T20 nonsense.

It should be legal but it has nothing to do with the format. I'm amazed you guys can act superior even as T20 shreds your favourite game apart.

 

[Varun]

Yeah what in the world are these "demerit" points? Never heard of them before...

Even Jadeja was needlessly sawed off from playing a test not long ago for his unforgivable crime of staring at the batsman or something.

 

[Markhor]

Wait now Jason Holder is given a demerit point for swearing after a drop catch ?!

Come on. It wasn't even picked up on the stump mic. Cricketers aren't robots - in a game involving red blooded men emotions will run high. Swearing at others is unacceptable but swearing at yourself in frustration is not allowed ?

People need to get off their high horse about kids watching on TV. Go on any school bus in Sheffield and you'll hear even worse swearing.

 

[HitWicket]

Wait now Jason Holder is given a demerit point for swearing after a drop catch ?!

Come on. It wasn't even picked up on the stump mic. Cricketers aren't robots - in a game involving red blooded men emotions will run high. Swearing at others is unacceptable but swearing at yourself in frustration is not allowed ?

People need to get off their high horse about kids watching on TV. Go on any school bus in Sheffield and you'll hear even worse swearing.

I wasn't concentrating much at the time but Ian Ward did apologise for any bad language that may have been heard at some point whilst Holder was bowling, I assume it's linked to that.

 

[humzy]

personally i don't want to live in a world where i can't express my self in the most poetic way, which is cussing!

 

[Pakistanian]

This is why cricket will never catch on in America, it's too soft and sensitive lol. We like our sports tough and manly here. Cricket should learn a thing or two from the NHL. People here love drama and if you want cricket to take root in the world's most powerful and wealthiest country then you need to learn how to sensationalize cricket. I say put Vince McMahon or Trump Jr in charge of the ICC and you'll see cricket a way like never before!

 

[Syed1]

Hum karien tou character dheela hai

 

[Pollack]

I've noticed Stokes can do no wrong for most pommies. Poster boy.