Ryan Sidebottom wants stump microphones turned off so players can be "aggressive" and "get under the skin" of opponents

In the wake of Jos Buttler's foul-mouth outburst towards Vernon Philander, players should be free to rile up their rivals without fear of being heard

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Stump microphones should be turned down to liberate players to verbally joust with their opponents, according to former England seamer Ryan Sidebottom.

The comments come in the wake of Jos Buttler being fined 15 per cent of his match fee after directing an audible obscenity towards South Africa's Vernon Philander.

In 2018, the ICC ordered for mics around the bat to be turned up in between balls, further magnifying the attention on the conduct of players.

It provided an additional layer of intrigue for the TV viewer, who is now given a greater insight into the verbal exchanges that take place on one of the most high-pressure battlegrounds in international sport.

But Sidebottom, who played 22 Tests and 25 one-day internationals for England, believes the increased attention will lead to old-fashioned sledging becoming a thing of the past and has called for the move to be reversed.

"Test matches bring so much drama and tension, guys are out there giving it absolutely everything - and I love a little bit of nitty-gritty," Sidebottom told Sky Sports.

"They want to go out there and play hard cricket, to win the game for their country and I like that. So I would turn the stump mics off from time to time.

"Obviously people would have heard that (Buttler's outburst) at home, it's not ideal. But I'd like to see the microphones off so guys can try and get under the skin of opposition players.

"I would prefer to see the lads being aggressive out there. You're trying to win games, that's what it's all about when you're playing professional sport and you want players going at it, then after the game you shake hands and get on with it."