Michael Clarke’s statement about sledging ridiculous, lambasts K Srikkanth

Last week, former Australian skipper Michael Clarke made a statement that ruffled many an Aussie feather, when he claimed that the Kangaroos were soft on Indian skipper Virat Kohli during the 2018/19 home summer to ensure that their contracts were secure. The comment was instantly condemned by skipper Tim Paine, who dismissed the allegations and asserted that keeping Kohli quiet was a well thought out plan by his team.

Now, former Indian cricketer and chief selector Kris Srikkanth has hit out at Clarke for his claims. Srikkanth labelled Clarke’s comments ‘ridiculous’ and has stated that teams don’t win matches on the field just by sledging.

“You do not win matches just by sledging. Aussie’s loss is a loss, his statement was ridiculous I would say. If you ask Nasser Hussain or Sir Vivian Richards who are experienced players, you can never score runs or get wickets through sledging,” Srikkanth said on Star Sports connected, reported Hindustan Times.

Srikkanth, a former national chief selector of the Indian cricket team, known for his honest and bland opinions, further added that victory can only be achieved by excelling on the field - be it batting or bowling - and asserted that sledging never influences the outcome of matches.

“You need to play good cricket and showcase determination; you need to bowl well to get wickets and bat well to achieve targets. Sledging cannot help in any way according to my opinion.”

Last week, the former Indian opener also revealed that he feared for the international career of Dhoni should the thirteenth edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) get cancelled.