On-pitch Violence is a real danger to cricket

Fighting on the field is the next big threat to cricket, the game's rulers have been warned.

After a year of damaging flashpoints, including the name-calling confrontation between India's Harbhajan Singh and Australia all-rounder Andrew Symonds in Sydney three months ago, one of the sport's most powerful voices fears that punches, rather than insults, will be traded soon unless action is taken.

"I fear the day is approaching when a high-profile, televised cricket match will see an outbreak of physical violence on the field," claims Scyld Berry in his editorial notes of this year's edition of the Wisden Cricketers' Almanack.

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But it is his warning about deteriorating behaviour - and where it could end - that should sound alarm bells.

"The amount of money coming into the game seems unending, but growth would be halted and reversed if cricketers were seen to be fighting," writes Berry.

January's 'Bollyline' battle of Sydney, which almost ended with India abandoning their tour, was the most dramatic example but, as Berry points out, it was by no means the only flare-up during the past 12 months.

While the Trent Bridge 'jellybean' affair involved only aggressive gesturing on the part of Indian's Zaheer Khan, Wisden identifies other examples of rivals getting up close - too close.

"Last year saw an alarming increase in the amount of physical contact between batsman and bowler," writes Berry. "[England's] James Anderson was fined 50 per cent of his match fee for 'inappropriate and deliberate physical contact' with Runako Morton [West Indies].

"Paul Hoffman, of Scotland, barged into Canada's opening batsman Abdool Samad so forcefully that Samad needed four minutes of on-pitch treatment.

"But the worst example came when [India batsman] Gautam Gambhir ran straight down the pitch and straight into [Pakistan bowler] Shahid Afridi."

Berry insists it is now up to the International Cricket Council to take action to prevent physical violence. "For once this taboo is broken it could rapidly spread, just as sledging - sustained personal abuse - has spread from international teams downwards," he warns.