Bumble's blog: Red cards and retrospective punishment for boorish behaviour

David Lloyd again calls for misbehaving players to be red carded and explains why he would bring in retrospective punishment...

I've been around cricket a long time but I've never seen player behaviour as it is in recent times.

I'm not just talking about what we saw between David Warner and Quinton de Kock in the first Test in South Africa, but in recent times.

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

I used to be on an ICC umpiring committee, and as regular readers of my blog will know, I've been saying 'bring in red cards' for two or three years now.

Give players a red card for poor behaviour and get them off the field immediately - and they don't play the next three matches. It's the only way to resolve this.

I repeat. I have never, ever seen behaviour on and off the field as it is now.

I keep hearing about and reading about some line that the players shouldn't cross. Where is this line? There's nothing in any of the laws of the game about a line.

I see the players saying, 'This is my line; I'll decide where I go'; that can't be right. It's up to the authorities, not the players, to decide and hit them hard.

Personally, I would bring in retrospective punishment to monitor the audio from the stump microphone. I'd have all that.

I'm reading and hearing that certain teams don't want the stump microphone up. Why not? What have you got to hide?

It's boorish behaviour. It's insulting and there's no end to it.

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

Cricket is not like boxing where you can stand toe-to-toe and say, 'Okay, we'll sort it out in the ring'.

Cricket is a non-contact sport at the minute - but it won't be for long unless things change!

It's time to back the officials but also for the match referee to do his job.

Michael Holding, apparently, has summed it up pretty well over in South Africa by saying, 'Shut up and play cricket'. He was one of the greatest bowlers the world has ever seen and he never said a word, and he was tough. Vivian Richards - have a go at sledging him!

This problem has been going on for some time and everyone needs to get a grip - it's as simple as that. Nip it in the bud now!

Using skysports.com? Comment below to get involved in the debate, but please adhere to our House Rules. If you wish to report any comment, simply click on the down arrow next to the offending comment and click 'Report'.