It’s perhaps hard to believe that an expression that once carried implications that everyone understood to be true and could relate to should now be virtually meaningless.

I recall ‘That’s not cricket’ as being a very clear indication that the highest standards were not being adhered to. Cricket used to be seen as game that was played by teams who respected each other and who shared a common belief in minimum standards of polite behaviour.

It would now appear that cricketers who play for opposing national teams can only be seen to relate to each other amicably once they have retired from the game for several years.

The sad evidence is that the fresh faced almost innocent looking captain of the Australian team Michael Clarke has been fined for using obscenity when warning English fast bowler to expect a broken arm as he came in to bat. Clarke defended his words, saying that it was just banter. But I thought banter was supposed to be witty rather than blunt declarations of aggressive intent.

I have heard of exchanges between cricketers back in the 80’s when both parties would be hard pressed not to laugh. Nothing funny however about threats of physical violence accompanied by foul language that can be picked up by the microphones.

Sportsmen do have a responsibility that comes with their high profile not to show an example to young followers of their sport that might make them think that it is acceptable to behave like that. We hear stories constantly about local football teams having to deal with young players who have seen the aggression and dissent on football pitches displayed by professional players that goes unpunished. They emulate their heroes. It’s a no brainer. No referee has ever changed his mind on the pitch, so why do football players persist in getting in their faces so aggressively.

Interestingly the potentially roughest game of all – Rugby – has far fewer incidents of players arguing with referees and the sport is much the better for it.

Those responsible for the management and control of all sports would be greatly admired by the public at large if they were to take on this problem with the same single mindedness as players do their attempts to intimidate referees. Let a sporting gesture mean what it used to mean rather than be the use of a varying number of fingers raised to the traditions of those sports.