The F-word is not what it used to be. At least in cricket. Indian captain Virat Kohli can vouch for that. For now, the profanity is used as much as to celebrate a wicket or a hundred as it is used to swear in the good old-fashioned way!
So, when England's swashbuckling wicketkeeper batsman Jos Buttler wrote the F-word on the top of his bat handle, all he had in mind was a phrase to calm his frayed nerves while batting. This when England were 1-0 down against Pakistan in a two-match Test series at home. The move, apparently, paid off, as Buttler top scored with 80* to guide England to an innings and 55-run win over Pakistan in the final Test at Leeds.
But can anything escape the all-seeing eye of Sauron? Television cameras caught the 'inspiring' message during a drinks break, and though it was a brief glimpse, the world had seen what it had to.
And so must have the ICC. This is what the rulebook (ICC's clothing and equipment rules and regulations) says: "Players and team officials shall not be permitted to wear, display or otherwise convey messages through arm bands or other items affixed to clothing or equipment unless approved in advance by both the player or team official's board and the ICC Cricket Operations Department... the ICC shall have the final say in determining whether any such message is approved."
The 'message' here is for himself, Buttler said. Explaining the act, he said: “I think it's just something that reminds me of what my best mindset is—when I'm playing cricket, and probably in life as well.
"It puts cricket in perspective. When you 'nick off', does it really matter?
"It's just a good reminder when I'm in the middle, when I'm questioning myself, and it brings me back to a good place."
Whether the ICC will reprimand Buttler depends on the on-field umpires and match referee Jeff Crowe.
This is not a one-off incident, it seems. Buttler has, reportedly, been writing it on his bats for quite some time now. It enables him to play freely, without being bogged down by the pressure of international cricket. (Hah! Now we know how he ended up sixth in the IPL 2018 run-scorers list, with 548 runs, including five successive fifties.)
A word of caution, though. Like one of the authors said, with messages like these, Buttler has to be “wary while giving his bats away for charity auctions”.