Thefulltoss.com : Do we need red cards in cricket?

From thefulltoss.com

"The committee intends that a red card will be shown in response to “Threatening an umpire, physically assaulting another player, umpire, official or spectator; or any other act of violence”. There is no doubt that this is a well meant initiative. There is also no doubt that the famed Botham whisperer Mike Brearley (Chair of the Committee) is an intelligent and wise judge of the game as well as of human nature and behaviour. The problem is I just cannot see how it would work in practice."

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"Rather than a careful safeguarding for the future it is instead an admittance of defeat. The raising of a metaphoric white flag which signals that it is only with the threat of banishment from the field that players can maintain the minimum standards of conduct. The placement of draconian controls to prevent risks that do not or only minimally exist is a neat 21st century trick. It is the favourite pastime of many an auditor, compliance manager, and politician all the world over."

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"Many will point to the amateur game where this sadly can happen and in fairness is the arena where the red card deterrent is felt by the MCC to be most required. Let’s not fool ourselves that the amateur game is all tea urns, sponge cake and crust removed sandwiches. In my years of club cricket I experienced lots of trash talk, posturing and boneheaded machismo; some of this even from the other team! But crucially not any actual fighting."

Read the rest here.