THE DEBATE: ARE THE ICC RIGHT TO PENALISE SWEARING?

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Yes: David ‘Bumble’ Lloyd

It is nothing to do with things being heard on the stump mics. If it is audible to the umpires – foul and abusive language – then the legislation kicks into play. If it is directed at the opposition or officials, there is a big problem.

I have always advocated yellow and red cards, and that for me would be a red card. You are off the field. But it has to be picked up by the umpires. Shannon Gabriel had an outburst in the last Test but the umpires didn’t hear it.

Everybody knows in broadcasting if something like that bleeds through to the commentary you have to apologise pretty quickly or Ofcom will get on your case and you will get fined. But if it is an emotional outburst – a dropped catch or near miss, as with Ben Stokes – he is playing hell with himself, and I don’t see a problem. It is a long and emotional game. There will be flashpoints and some people have a tendency to swear, and there are degrees of it – the damns and bloody hells are not as bad as the fs and the cs. But swearing at an opponent or an official is not acceptable in any sporting occasion. In cricket it is one of the most cowardly things you can do.

We are talking about keeping the ethics of the game at a high standard and there has to be a reprimand for things like that. My reprimand would be: “You’re off the field.”

No: John Emburey

I don’t think players should be penalised for swearing. It is just a way of venting your frustration, letting off steam and viewers want to see emotion on the field.

Some of the most exciting passages of play have been when the players are going at each other physically and verbally – like Wahab Riaz against Shane Watson in the 2015 World Cup, or Stokes and Marlon Samuels. Swearing can be quite funny if it is not meant with real malice. A swearword provides emphasis.

Although I was well known for swearing in general speech, I rarely swore at the batsman. I did tell Geoff Marsh to eff off once but that was only after he punched one to silly point off his glove and stood there. He was run out four balls later and I sent him on his way. But he should have walked, shouldn’t he? That’s what they should penalise players for – for cheating, not swearing. But they always get away with that, don’t they? And the cameras always pan in on footballers spitting. I think that’s much more disgusting than swearing.