Sledge-hammered

The International Cricket Council will crack down on excessive sledging between players at the World Cup, saying first offenders can expect heavier fines while repeat offenders face suspension from matches.

ICC chief executive David Richardson also said players with already poor records of on-field behaviour could face immediate match bans if found guilty of a single breach of the ICC's code of conduct during the tournament, which runs from Saturday to March 29.

"That issue has been addressed at all the pre-event team briefings," Richardson said in Melbourne.

"I suppose it started a few months back already when the behaviour in some matches by some players was deemed unacceptable and not a good example to young fans watching the game.

"I think there's been something like 12 to 13 code of conduct charges laid in the past few months in bilateral series.

"So the crackdown had already started. I think the teams are going to be told that the umpires intend to remain firm, that the penalties handed out by the match referees will be perhaps a little bit more punitive or fines higher than before.

"For a first offence, you'll likely end up with a fine, which no player likes, handing back most of his match fee.

"But certainly a repeat offence, not just in this tournament but also in previous matches, will be punished with suspension."

The crackdown may give Australia's opening batsman David Warner some pause for thought, given that he has been found guilty of breaching the code of conduct twice in two months.

India batsmen Shikhar Dhawan and Virat Kohli were also fined for conduct breaches in December during the occasionally ill-tempered Test series against Australia.

Pundits have suggested a soccer-style yellow and red card system to better stamp out poor on-field behaviour but Richardson said cricket would continue to rely on post-match reviews with on-field umpires and off-field referees to analyse incidents and lay charges where necessary.