Sledging not acceptable, says Lloyd

Steve Waugh has won more matches as captain than Clive Lloyd. His team, though, are habitual offenders when it comes to breaches of the code of conduct. You could never say that about Lloyd. He's proud of the fact that his men played the game in the spirit it was meant to be played in. As captain, he wasn't afraid to enforce the law; as match referee, he's paid to do so. Speaking exclusively to Wisden CricInfo, Lloyd lays down the law.

How serious is the problem of sledging?
Well, to be honest we have not had a spate of incidents or anything. By and large things have been under control. There was the McGrath-Sarwan incident in the West Indies and I suppose that was highlighted a lot. But it's covered in the code of conduct. If it was such a problem, then the umpires and referees have a right to step in. Sledging is not allowed in our code of conduct.

Where does gamesmanship end and sledging begin?
I have refereed for quite a while and haven't had any problems. We had one problem with Darren Lehmann, but that comment was made while he was coming off the field. So I wouldn't really call that sledging. He made a very unacceptable comment and was punished for that. So I think it's very clear where we all stand when it comes to sledging. People must understand that it's simply not allowed. It's not about what's acceptable and what isn't.

But there are other ways to show aggression. A fast bowler can pepper a tailender with bouncers and intimidate ?
Well, you're not allowed to do that either. Once it is picked up that a bowler or a team is trying to intimidate someone the umpires must step in. Then that's it, and the team that's trying to intimidate is forced to change their tactics. You can bowl as many short-pitched deliveries as you want, as long as the bowler is not seeking to cause bodily harm. It's entirely up to the umpire to see if it's intimidating.

What is the role of the captain in all this?
The captain is in charge of his team, or should be. Sledging didn't happen in my time and there's really no reason it should happen now. Because there have been a few incidents, the ICC have done what they needed to. The laws have also been changed to reflect this. In certain cases ?like slow over-rates ?the captain is charged double if he fails to get things going within the rules.

Would it be fair to say that behaviour standards in general have deteriorated?
We've always had one or two problems, there's no doubt about that. One Difference, though, is that the match referee now has a very clear brief. There's a code of conduct in place that everybody knows about well in advance. Before tournaments and matches you have briefings and the law is laid down. The players know exactly what they should be doing, and equally what they should not be doing. In that sense there's no excuse for any breaches.

Are the current laws effective enough?
I think the laws are effective enough as they are. The players need to be more aware of the role they play. After all, they're in a position to influence a lot of people ?especially youngsters. Whether they like it or not they're going to be looked at as role models. Television now plays such a big part in cricket. Every thing you do on the field is watched, replayed and analysed. A lot of things that might have been missed before are highlighted now. So naturally, players must be conscious that a lot of young people are watching them ?and they must act accordingly.

Do the umpires have enough authority to enforce the code?
The umpires still have a lot of authority. Even now, they're the people who can bring the charges against any player. They're out in the middle and in the thick of things and that's how it should be. They can give as much leeway is required. When the rules are broken they bring things to the referee and only then is a punishment meted out.

Essentially, what causes people to sledge?
People can get frustrated quite easily at the highest level. If it's a fast bowler, sometimes it's hot and the conditions are against you. There's nothing in the wicket and a batsman is having an easy time of it. Then when a decision goes against them, they get really annoyed and something snaps. It's not as though they're bad characters. They have to understand that at moments like this, they have to curb themselves and mind their manner. If they don't, they could easily put their side in a detrimental position. Not only can you be banned, but you can lose your place in the side for a couple of games.

Sunil Gavaskar said recently that your fast bowlers didn't have to resort to sledging ?
Our fast bowlers were brought up in the right manner. We just wanted to get players out. We've never believed in cheating and we genuinely want the game to be played in the right spirit. That's one thing cricket has always had. When something's not right, you say `it's not cricket'. You don't say `it's not football' or `it's not golf.' So yes, you should be passionate, but if you're beaten then you have to accept that and move on. There's always another day, another game.