Michael Clarke's "broken arm" sledge against James Anderson was just cricket Michael Clarke of Australia and James Anderson of England exchange words during day four of the First Ashes Test match between Australia and England at The Gabba on November 24, 2013 in Brisbane, Australia. THERE's a line in cricket sledging that Michael Clarke, with his implied threats of physical harm, actually didn't cross - on the other side of that line are racism and other players' mothers. Discussion is hot this morning about whether Clarke's warning to England player Jimmy Anderson to "get ready for a broken f*cking arm" was conduct unbecoming of the Australian Cricket Captain, a job Clarke's wife Kyly thinks is: "the second most important job in Australia." It doesn't sound good in isolation does it. At the pub that kind of talk would get someone like Clarke into a very sticky situation. But Clarke said: "Through my career I heard a lot worse said on the field than any of the Australian players or England players have said throughout this Test." He's right. Sledging might not be something you want your eight-year-old cricket-tragic son to aspire to, but a lot worse has been said Clarke's Gabba outburst last night. When it goes too far sledging is an excuse to air players' some players' basest racism or lack of respect for women. Like when Harbhajan Singh called Andrew Symonds a "monkey." Singh was fined $3000 for general abuse but charges of racial abuse were dropped and a three-match ban overturned on appeal. The nasty affair gives Clarke's sledging some perspective. The AFL has drawn the line at sledging about people's mothers, but in cricket wives have been fair game for years, most famously when Glenn McGrath asked Eddo Brandes how come he was so fat and Brandes replied "because every time I f*ck your wife she gives me a biscuit." I'd rather they be kept right out of it. But Clarke is still on safe ground. Follow Tory on Twitter: @_Tors