England coach Trevor Bayliss dislikes the sustained sledging that has characterised this Ashes series and called for the volume on stump microphones to be turned down.
Both teams have wasted no opportunity to launch verbal attacks on one another, with Stuart Broad’s roar in the face of Peter Handscomb, after dismissing him in the first over of day two, the latest episode.
Bayliss, an Australian who has coached England since 2015, admitted there was little he could do to prevent the exchanges but believes viewers and listeners should be spared.
Asked whether he was comfortable with sledging, Bayliss said: “Personally, from my point of view, probably not. That goes for both sides. But it’s just the way the game is these days.
“I’d like to see the microphones turned down. I don’t think that’s necessarily a good thing for young kids watching. I don’t think anyone has to listen to what is being said. But they’re grown men playing a very competitive sport and sometimes those emotions boil over.”
Australia went hard at England wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow during the First Test at Brisbane, which the home side won by 10 wickets to take a 1-0 lead in the five-match series.
England were particularly aggrieved at some of the Australians’ conduct in that game and responded with ferocity towards Handscomb, opening batsman David Warner and captain Steve Smith in this match.
Bayliss added: “It’s just red blooded young males competing against each other. Most of the time it’s fairly light hearted. Sometimes there’s a lot more made of it than what happens in the field.”
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