Root says no chance of on-field punch-ups

Joe Root, the young England batsman who many regard as a future Test captain, has offered in-principle if qualified support for the introduction of a football-style yellow card system to try and take the heat from on-field verbal altercations.

Former New Zealand captain Martin Crowe had floated the proposal and raised concerns about the escalation of verbal battles between rival players that he fears might spill over into a retaliatory act of violence.

Former Australia skipper Ian Chappell has also spoken a number of times during the current ill-tempered summer about his fear that the constant goading by opponents has the potential to turn from verbal to physical clashes in the near future.

Australian opener David Warner today confirmed he has been fined 50 per cent of his match fee ($1470) following his confrontation with India batsman Rohit Sharma during yesterday's Carlton Mid ODI Tri-Series match at the MCG.

That followed an often feisty Commonwealth Bank Test Series between the two teams that saw five players (two from Australia including Warner and three from India) fined or reprimanded by the International Cricket Council match referee for on-field misdemeanours.

Crowe has suggested the introduction of yellow cards such as those produced as a pre-cursor to a send-off in football which carry the threat of mandatory match bans might help to convince players to re-evaluate their on-field behaviour.

"Let's demand that if any cricketer gets two yellow cards during a six-month period then they are out for six months following," Crowe wrote in his column on ESPNCricinfo.

"It's the only way to kill a hornet's nest and get this game back in a groove of respect."

And while conceding he did not know much about the background or details of Crowe's suggestion, Root indicated that the potential to introduce some sort of uniform, immediate course of action available to on-field umpires appeared to carry some merit.

"Yeah, why not," Root said in Brisbane today when asked if he agreed with Crowe's thesis.

"It seems at the minute there's a lot of things people aren't happy with the way people are holding themselves on the field and if that's going to sort them out, then why not?"

Root said he had no recollection of specific taunts directed at him in England's opening match of the tri-series against Australia in Sydney last Friday.

Nor did he make much of Warner's involvement in any conflict even though the pair were involved in an off-field scuffle in an Edgbaston bar during Australia's 2013 Ashes tour of the UK, an incident that led to Warner's exclusion from the Test team at the start of that campaign.

But he echoed his rival's oft-repeated mantra that players instinctively know where the imaginary line between acceptable and unacceptable verbal aggression resides and – on most occasions – are mindful not to cross it.

"When you're out there, you're there to score runs or take wickets," Root said.

"As soon as that's not your main focus you're not doing your team a full service.

"It's about mutual respect for each other. You have the odd confrontation on the field and that's all it should be really. That's where it should stop."

In a radio interview this morning, during which he confirmed he had been sanctioned by the ICC for yesterday's exchange, Warner said he had no intention of changing the way he played nor would his team look to soften the way it goes about seeking an advantage over opponents.

"If people get on the wrong side of me, I'm not going to back down," Warner told Sydney's Sky Sports Radio breakfast program today.

"We (Australia) are always there to play hard aggressive cricket, but you know what comes with that – that's what happens, sometimes you are going to get fined."

However, Root did not share the fears expressed by Crowe and Chappell that if the incidence of verbal taunting continued unchecked then it was possible a physical altercation might erupt on the field.

"I can't to be honest," the prolific 24-year-old said when asked if he could envisage a scenario whereby a punch was thrown as the result of someone taking offence at something said by a rival.

"I think someone would have to be in a really bad place to do that. It's about scoring runs and taking wickets and for me that's all it should be about.

"It shouldn't be about trying to upset the opposition too much. You should try and do that with bat and ball.

"I can't see it going that far to lead to a punch up."

England plays India in their first meeting of the Carlton Mid ODI Tri-Series at the Gabba in Brisbane tomorrow.