Following South Africa’s convincing seven-wicket win over Bangladesh in the first Test at Mirpur, former South African pacer Shaun Pollock shared his views on sledging, acknowledging Australia as masters of the psychological tactic. Pollock explained that sledging is most effective when a team is dominating its opponent, which adds to the mental challenge for the receiving team.

Pollock commented, “I think the Australians were probably the best at learning what to say or how to go about it. Also, they were always in a commanding position to sledge. If you’re getting beaten up or you’re losing the game, sledging doesn’t really count for much. You can kind of laugh it off, but when a team’s on top of you and they start to sledge and put you under pressure, it just makes you think about things mentally, like, ‘Can I win this battle?’”

Highlighting what makes a “good sledge,” Pollock added, “Anything that gets you to maybe doubt yourself a little bit is probably a good sledge. I think if it goes over the top and becomes too personal, I think that’s overrated. But anything that makes you think about the game slightly differently, that’s spot on.”

Pollock’s insights shed light on how mental tactics can influence performance, emphasizing the fine line between strategic sledging and unnecessary hostility. He noted that Australia's ability to maintain control over their sledging makes them particularly skilled in using this tactic to unnerve opponents.