The world of cricket needs it "larger than life characters" like Virat Kohli and Ben Stokes but it "equally needs" a Mahendra Singh Dhoni or a Rahul Dravid to "stay on good side of line", feels ICC Chief Executive David Richardson.
At the MCC's 2018 Cowdrey Lecture. Richardson expressed his concerns about the amount of cheating and sledging in international cricket expecting more initiative from the players and coaches.
"On the field the cricket needs its larger than life characters. Its Colin Milburns, Freddie Flintoffs, Shane Warnes, Virat Kohlis, Ben Stokes but we equally it needs its Frank Worrells, its Mahendra Singh Dhonis, its Rahul Dravids, its Colin Cowdreys to make sure that we all stay in the good side of that line," Richardson said during his lecture.
However, the former Proteas keeper-batsman agreed that ICC "do not have all the answers to the challenges" it faces but are "working collectively to solve them".
"Personal abuse, fielders giving send-offs to batsmen who have been dismissed, unnecessary physical contact, players threatening not to play in protest against an umpire's decision and ball tampering; this isn't the version of our sport that we want to project to the world," he said.
Richardson spoke about the steps taken by the ICC to penalise any kind of personal abuse with a six-Test or 12-match suspension in limited-overs cricket.
He informed that ICC is working on "educating the players on what it means to play the game within the spirit."
"Winning must obviously be the aim of any game but not at all costs, not when it means compromising the integrity of the game."
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