Sledging a compliment, says Gooch


ADELAIDE - England batting coach Graham Gooch Monday said anyone in the team getting sledged by Australia should take it as a compliment. The first Test in Brisbane was tarnished by constant sledging as frustrations boiled over, culminating in skipper Michael Clarke being caught by a stump microphone telling England’s Jimmy Anderson to expect a broken arm. “If someone comes with sledging, people deal with it in different ways,” said Gooch. “Some people it motivates, makes them play better, more determined. Some people it can unsettle. But generally sledging is about getting you to play the man and not the ball, get your focus off the ball. Players I’ve seen who’ve dealt with it best either smile at opposition or take it as a compliment. Generally if you get sledged, you’re doing okay.”–AFP

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