England Women deny sledging claim

Mithali Raj disliked England's sledging

The England and Wales Cricket Board has played down sledging claims against the national women's team during the recent home series against India.

The allegations were made by India's captain Mithali Raj following their return home.

"They are foul-mouthed. They speak rot," she told the Times of India.

But an ECB statement said England took pride "in playing cricket within the spirit of the game and the series against India was no different".

The statement continued: "As far as England were concerned it was played in a friendly and competitive way.

"At no point did any England player breach the ICC Code of Conduct nor were any players approached by the umpires throughout the series.

"No England women's player has had any disciplinary charges brought against her under Richard Bates' coaching."

England won the one-day series against India 4-0, but were beaten 1-0 in the two-match Test encounter.

Raj claimed the England players created a hostile environment which prompted her team to resort to verbal retaliation.

"We decided to give it back to them. First it was our close-in fielders who gave the Englishwomen the shock treatment and slowly it spread," she said.

Raj claimed the sledging was at its worst on the final day of the second Test.

"This war assumed such proportions that the English made Reema Malhotra's life miserable when she was at the crease with the score at 74-5, chasing 98 for victory.

"A distraught Reema walked to me and I told her to simply giggle at them. Truly, they were put off by her response," she added.