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Niranjan Shah to put forth proposal at ICC meeting

BCCI expected to request ban on sledging

Cricinfo staff

February 14, 2008

The Indian board is set to propose a complete ban on sledging when the ICC executive committee meets in Kuala Lumpar next week.

"Sledging is not required in cricket. It's not good for the game," Niranjan Shah, the secretary of the BCCI, told the Hindustan Times. ""Cricket is not a physical, contact sport and we don't see why there should be any abusive language at all."

Shah said that any word which was offensive should not be allowed, although he admitted that there was confusion over interpretation. In the recent Australia-India series there were several incidents between players. "The word 'bastard' is not considered offensive to Aussies, but it is to us Indians. Or the phrase 'maa ki' ['your mother'] is not that big a deal in India as it's commonly used but someone else might find it offensive.

"What is not particularly bad in one country can be very offensive in another," Shah said. "It's better just to cut out everything that could remotely cause a problem. Our board is unanimous on this and I think the ICC will be receptive to our proposal."

But Irfan Pathan felt sledging added to the charm of the game as long as it was kept under control. "It's been there for a long time," he told Cricinfo. [It's] good for the crowds. People show their frustration. I'm fine like a fast bowler. But when some things go out of hand it shouldn't' happen. Everything should be under the limits. About banning, it's an ICC's decision."

Shah also said that umpires Suresh Shastri and Amish Saheba could be offered ICC contracts for joining its elite panel but this would only be confirmed by the end of March.

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