Aussies play down sledging problem after Hughes inquest

PERTH: Former Australia captain Mark Taylor and other senior figures on Friday insisted verbal abuse is not a big problem after a coroner examining Phillip Hughes’s death called it cricket’s “ugly underside”.

During his inquest, concerns were raised by Hughes’ family about on-field sledging, or abuse, which they felt may have unsettled him.

On Friday, New South Wales coroner Michael Barnes said even if there had been attempts to intimidate players, Hughes did not appear to be affected and it “could not be implicated in his death”.

But Barnes called sledging an “unsavoury aspect” of cricket.

The hearing heard claims that one bowler told him, “I am going to kill you”, although players on the field said they did not recall any such comment.

Taylor said he didn’t think sledging was a major problem in cricket, but he urged umpires to crack down if they thought players were going too far.

“I don’t think we have,” he said, when asked if cricket had a sledging problem.

“Sledging is something that has always been talked about regularly, but the umpires should step in if they think it is over the top.”

Cricket Australia chief James Sutherland agreed it was down to the umpires to stamp out backchat if it was becoming too much.