Former South Africa wicketkeeper-batsman Mark Boucher believes that emotions sometimes “overflow” on the cricket field when two teams are playing hard against each other and going for the win. However, he is of the view that aggression shouldn’t be taken out of the game.
“You don’t want to take all the aggression out of the game of cricket,” Boucher, Proteas coach, was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo.
“You’ve got two countries playing hard cricket against each other. In a heated situation, guys are trying really hard and sometimes the emotions overflow. From that side, maybe I am a little bit disappointed in the rules and regulations but if you know the rules and regulations, you have got to stick to them,” he added.
Boucher’s remarks come after Proteas pacer Rabada received one demerit point for his behaviour towards Joe Root. After clean-bowling the England captain with the best ball delivered on the first day of the third Test at St George’s Park on Thursday, Rabada celebrated loudly and passionately within millimetres of the dismissed batter.
That earned him a level one conviction for “using language, actions or gestures which disparage or which could provoke an aggressive reaction from a batter upon his or her dismissal during an international match”. He did not contest the charge. His sentence of a fine of 15% of his match fee and one demerit point meant he had piled up four points for – which prompted the one-match ban.
“KG (Kagiso Rabada) bowls at his best when he is nice and aggressive,” Boucher said.
“It’s trying to find a balance of keeping him nice and aggressive and not boxing him in with regards to that. But just understanding the laws of the game and trying to stay on the good side of it, rather than the flip side. It is going to be tough but it is something we will have to address.”
“KG knows what he can and cannot do and he maybe just pushed a little it too far,” he added.
The current version of the code of conduct came into operation in September 2016, more than four years after Boucher had retired.
“In our day we didn’t have to deal with this stuff because we could say pretty much what we wanted and get away with it,” Boucher, a veteran of 147 Tests, said.
Rabada will miss the fourth and final Test of the ongoing series against England.