BEHIND THE SPORTS DESK: Is it time for a carding system?

IN BEHIND the Sports Desk this week, Pottsy and Moose discuss what a red card system would mean for the sport of cricket.

CRICKET: The test match in Durban between Australia and South Africa erupted earlier this week after video footage emerged of David Warner and Quinton de Kock almost coming to blows on the way to the dressing sheds.

The incident has sparked plenty of response from pundits around the world, including former Australian leg spinner Kerry O'Keefe who has suggested the ICC needs to revisit a red card system.

In Behind the Sports Desk, Pottsy and Moose discuss what a card system would mean for cricket.

MOOSE: Captain's responsibility to keep sledging above board

WHILE the fighting between Dave Warner and Quinton de Kock is not the sight any fan wants to see, the idea that cricket will need to turn to red cards and send-offs to combat sledging is ridiculous.

As much as Ian Chappell will want to deny it, sledging is a part of the game. In fact, it is a part of all sports.

Sport is built on the fiery and friendly competition between people and psychological edges in that battle are gold.

But there is a line and most sportspeople know where that line sits. And if they don't know where the line is, it is up to the leadership team, whether that is the coach or the captain, to bring that player back into line.

If we brought a carding system into cricket, it will only convolute the issue even more.

What level of sledging is deserving of a send-off?

I grew up in cricket, and even as a junior there was the harmless lines from "I saw this bloke on the cover of No Idea magazine" to "how about you hit the next one buddy."

Surely those wouldn't even raise the brow of the standing umpire. But they are still a form of sledging.

At the moment we have a system of umpires referring any conduct beyond what is accepted to a judiciary, which will deal with the matter after the game, and it works.

Instead, if we bring in a send-off system, we run the risk of cheapening or lessening the contest between the two sides, and potentially ruining would could have been a great game of cricket for the people who matter most - the fans.

POTTSY: Carding system to bring players back into line

IT'S A shame Australia's convincing First Test victory over South Africa has been overshadowed by the sledging and off-field drama between Australian vice-captain David Warner and South African wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock.

Cricket as a sport seems to be outdated when it comes to player discipline on the field. The umpire will pull players aside, have a bit of a chat to them, then the game goes on.

However, while that approach may have been sufficient 100 years ago when it was a gentleman's game played on lush English parks, the game has moved on a long way since then. We've had batters threaten bowlers with bats before! As the game becomes more professional, and intensity levels of matches increase, tempers are set to rise at times.

The problem is, if players don't know exactly where they stand in regards to their actions, it's more likely they're going to cross a line with their on-field actions and sledging.

I'd like to see a yellow and red card system trialled in T20s as an experiment to see what difference they might make. If a player already has one yellow card for an over-the-top wicket celebration or sledge, they would know they're only one mistake away from being ejected from the game. Plus, no batting team would want to see a batter walked from the middle for getting two yellows or a red for something as silly as sledging an opponent.

Something needs to be done so these ugly off-field incidents don't become common.

Originally published as BEHIND THE SPORTS DESK: Is it time for a carding system?