DUBAI // Mahela Jayawardene, the Sri Lanka captain, has defended Australia against claims they are international cricket's worst behaved team.
Sri Lanka will be up against New Zealand, Bangladesh and the West Indies when the International Cricket Council's (ICC) give out their annual "Spirit of Cricket" award at the Westin Hotel in Dubai tonight.
Australia, who hold every major trophy in cricket at present, are conspicuous by their absence from the list of nominees for that particular award.
Back in March, the ICC moved to outlaw sledging in the wake of India's fractious tour of Australia. During that series, the home captain Ricky Ponting suffered intense criticism over his side's poor conduct, and nearly lost his job because of it.
Now the ICC are demanding that umpires clamp down on "obscene, offensive or insulting" verbal abuse. The Australians are often accused of being the main perpetrators of sledging. The term itself originated in the country, as a shortened form of the phrase "as subtle as a sledge-hammer".
However, Jayawardene admits there are few angels left in the game at the top level, and feels Australia are unjustly pilloried.
"We have a different level of sledging," reasoned the batsman, 31, who could also lift the Cricketer of the Year and Test Player of the Year awards at tonight's ceremony. "It is difficult to say the Aussies are the only team that sledge. A lot of teams have banter which goes on on the field. It is mostly designed to get under the skin of the opposition when you are on the field.
"That has been a part of the game for quite some time, and as long as you don't cross that line and make sure you play within the spirit, I think everyone is happy with that."
pradley@thenational.ae
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
Coffee: black death or elixir of life?
It is among the greatest health debates of our time; splashed across newspapers with contradicting headlines - is coffee good for you or not?
Depending on what you read, it is either a cancer-causing, sleep-depriving, stomach ulcer-inducing black death or the secret to long life, cutting the chance of stroke, diabetes and cancer.
The latest research - a study of 8,412 people across the UK who each underwent an MRI heart scan - is intended to put to bed (caffeine allowing) conflicting reports of the pros and cons of consumption.
The study, funded by the British Heart Foundation, contradicted previous findings that it stiffens arteries, putting pressure on the heart and increasing the likelihood of a heart attack or stroke, leading to warnings to cut down.
Numerous studies have recognised the benefits of coffee in cutting oral and esophageal cancer, the risk of a stroke and cirrhosis of the liver.
The benefits are often linked to biologically active compounds including caffeine, flavonoids, lignans, and other polyphenols, which benefit the body. These and othetr coffee compounds regulate genes involved in DNA repair, have anti-inflammatory properties and are associated with lower risk of insulin resistance, which is linked to type-2 diabetes.
But as doctors warn, too much of anything is inadvisable. The British Heart Foundation found the heaviest coffee drinkers in the study were most likely to be men who smoked and drank alcohol regularly.
Excessive amounts of coffee also unsettle the stomach causing or contributing to stomach ulcers. It also stains the teeth over time, hampers absorption of minerals and vitamins like zinc and iron.
It also raises blood pressure, which is largely problematic for people with existing conditions.
So the heaviest drinkers of the black stuff - some in the study had up to 25 cups per day - may want to rein it in.
Rory Reynolds
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