Monday, September 24, 2007

Sledging of a Subtle Kind

Indirect Comments. I’ll often make a comment (just loud enough) to a team mate about the batsman’s technique. If he drives well I’ll note he likes to flash outside the off stump or seems weak on the leg side. Backing this up by moving a fielder away from the leg side or into the slips works well too.

Distractions. A great way to get the batsman in a negative frame of mind is to distract him with talk about unrelated things. The idea is to get him out of concentrating on the moment and thinking about stuff that is putting him off. It’s subtle and easy to go too far though, so take care!

Chirping. This is an easy one for the keepers when standing up. I will often go on about anything to just get the batsman thinking “shut up”! Take care not to wind up your own team too. There is a fine line between being lively and annoying.

Bluffing. This is my favourite. Telling new batsmen its turning square then putting in another close fielder is a great ploy. On the other side of the coin, you could say it’s gun barrel straight when it’s swinging all over. Less is more with this tactic though. Even the slowest players catch on quick!

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