No more name-calling says Langer

It's a move that Ricky Ponting has branded a bit rich. Justin Langer has called for no more sledging in county cricket - despite having a reputation within the Australia set-up as a bit of a chatterbox.

"There must be two Justin Langers in the world I think," Ponting, the Australian captain, told The Australian newspaper when informed of Langer's call. "I don't know what's happened there. But I know the little fella was never too far away from it if something was going on."

Langer, who recently retired from Tests but has taken up his position at Somerset again, told The Times newspaper: "I don't believe in it and it is something that has disturbed me over the years, particularly when Glenn McGrath and Ramnaresh Sarwan were involved in an ugly incident in 2003." That incident involved an offensive reference to McGrath's wife, Jane.

There is only a small distinction between what's acceptable and what isn't in Langer's book. "If the batsman comes out and the fielders shout to the bowler, 'He doesn't like playing out-swingers', then that is a part of cricket, but there is a fine line between that and gamesmanship."