"There's a difference between banter and abuse" : Justin Langer

[giri26]

Justin Langer has given the green light for Australia to carry on sledging but insists there is no room for rampant on-field abuse.

The Aussies' berating behaviour was called into question during their South Africa tour in March.

The disastrous series culminated in the ball-tampering scandal which saw former captain Steve Smith and deputy David Warner slapped with one-year suspensions and former coach Darren Lehmann stepping down.

Angry on-field exchanges only contributed to a call for a general culture change within the Aussie camp.

Langer, who succeeded Lehmann, is sure his side will keep deploying the on-field verbals but says there have to be strict boundaries.

In other words: Sledging good. Abuse bad.

"Everyone talks about sledging but there's a difference between banter and abuse," Langer said in London on Wednesday ahead of Australia's one-day tour of England.

"It doesn't matter if you're off the field or on it, there's no room for abuse but there's plenty of room for banter or what we call sledging.

"It's actually a fun part of the game, but when anyone steps over the line with abuse it's not on, it's as simple as that."

To prove a point, the 47-year-old former Test opener quipped he still deploys the old mind games when playing the card game Uno with his daughter.

"If I play Uno with my daughter, there's lots of banter, we sledge each other but we don't abuse each other," Langer joked.

"She wants to beat me big time and I want to beat her back big time. That's okay that's part of the game, but I never abuse her and if she abuses me, that's trouble, you know?"

Captain Tim Paine said the verbals must be used in a less toxic way.

"We want to be more respectful the way we go about it but we don't think we are going to change the way we play in a really competitive spirit," said Paine, who has replaced Smith as skipper in the Test and one-day sides.

"Certainly, we're not going to be silent out on the field but there's got to be a respectful element to it.

"We know what's right and what's wrong ... it's up to me and Justin and the senior players to make sure the banter never turns to abuse."

Australia will get the chance to implement their new approach in a tune-up against English county side Sussex, coached by former Test bowler Jason Gillespie, on Thursday.

Langer's men then return to Lord's to face Middlesex on Saturday before opening hostilities against England for real in the first ODI at The Oval on June 13.

https://www.smh.com.au/sport/cricket/langer-insists-sledging-good-abuse-bad-20180607-p4zjyg.html

 

[BreadPakoda]

"Everyone talks about sledging but there's a difference between banter and abuse," Langer said in London on Wednesday ahead of Australia's one-day tour of England.

So Langer instead of Lehmann will draw the line this time.

 

[PakLFC]

....and racist abuse as well that Aussies are well known for when things are not going there way. Time to even up the score with them.

 

[JattMaula]

"Difference" = The Line

And the new coach has drawn his.

 

[Hasan123]

No problem in friendly banter. In fact I hope Australia continue with banter but personal remarks shouldn't be tolerated.

 

[trickyone]

5-0 for England, I hope Austraila upset the England and win atleast one game.

 

[giri26]

Justin Langer labels Aussie cricketer's as 'spoilt brats'

Newly appointed Australian cricket coach Justin Langer has spoken of the culture of the national side prior to his appointment, saying Darren Lehmann’s side carried on like “spoilt brats”.

Langer spoke in length about Australia’s reputation on the international stage in an interview with former England captain Nasser Hussain on Sky Sports.

The Australian coach said once upon a time Australia was well known for its tenacity and skill on the pitch but in the last few years the narrative had changed.

“Once upon a time, the opposition didn’t like us because we played really good, hard cricket — we were very skilful and we won a lot of games.

“It’s easy to dislike the opposition if they’re good, but there have been too many whispers in the last 12 months or so about the abuse on the field, or dare I say, the side playing like spoilt brats.”

Langer said he was shocked to see how things unfolded in South Africa with the ball tampering scandal which saw Steve Smith, David Warner and Camerono Bancroft suspended.

“When that moment happened, as a past player and lover of Australia, I nearly died. And when I saw it was Cameron Bancroft, my heart nearly came out of my chest, I couldn’t believe it.”

During Langer’s years in the Australian cricket team, the Aussies were also seen as a side with plenty of mongrel. Guys like Matthew Hayden and Andrew Symonds did push the boundaries in order to get an advantage but were always kept in check by captain Steve Waugh.

The current Australian coach believes the major difference between the two sides is leadership.

“I think Steve Smith maybe just wasn’t strong enough in his leadership. But, he loves the game of cricket — he practices harder than anyone I’ve ever met — and he is a very, very nice young lad. There’s no doubt about that.

“Matty Hayden played really hard cricket, Andrew Symonds at times played really hard, Steve Waugh. He didn’t have to say much, he’d just have to look at you and you’d be nervous.”

Despite the negative headlines surrounding Australia’s approach to the game over recent years, Langer confirmed sledging will still be part of the way his side plays the game. The Australia coach said there’s a difference between banter and abuse.

"It depends how you define sledging. In Australia, it’s almost a term of endearment," said Langer. "If I play cards with my 12-year-old daughter Gracie, then we sledge each other, or call it banter or call it chat, whatever you want. I’ll play golf with my Mum and Dad and go, “nice sledge, nice sledge!” But we don’t abuse each other, there is no room for abuse anywhere. I don’t think it is a trait anyone would be proud of, abusing someone.”

Australia will take on England to kick off their ODI series at the Oval on Wednesday night.

Both sides will shake hands before proceedings get underway, after Australian captain Tim Paine set a precedent in the fourth Test against South Africa in the wake of the ball-tampering incident.

https://wwos.nine.com.au/2018/06/13/12/52/justin-langer-calls-australia-cricketers-spoilt-brats

 

[BaankeJi]

No problem in friendly banter. In fact I hope Australia continue with banter but personal remarks shouldn't be tolerated.

Yeah but banter is never friendly if things aren't going their way. Actually the whole purpose of banter is to break opposition's concentration.
This was all started by Australia and they need to shut it down. They need to stop drawing the line that nobody else understands.

 

[Buffet]

Aus coach is drawing the line here, lol.

 

[big_gamer007]

When Aussies do it it’s good banter when someone else does it it’s abuse.. Hypocrits..

Aussies should man up and take it on the chin.. Sledging is fun and line starts when things get personal/racist before that everything is fair play.