Where does the word "sledging" originate?

Question

I think sledging started in Aussie. It mainly takes the form of an insult designed to upset opponents to bring about their downfall.
Usually the public are not told what is said but it can get pretty rough. The umpires keep the insults within modern bounds which means that just about anything goes except racial insults. Those come from the crowds.

Answer 1

Sledging is the practice in cricket of insulting opponents to break their concentration and cause them to make mistakes. Sledging is effective because the batsman stands within hearing range of the bowler and certain fielders. The batsman might make a single, disastrous mistake to the innings if "sledged" effectually. Sledging thus tries to "break the flow" of the batsman's game.[citation needed] There is debate in the cricketing world over whether this is poor sportsmanship or good-humoured banter.

According to Ian Chappell,[1] "sledging" originated from Adelaide in the 1963-1964 or 1964-1965 Sheffield Shield season. A cricketer who swore in the presence of a woman was taken to be like a sledgehammer, and so called a "Percy" or "Sledge"—from singer Percy Sledge (whose song When a Man Loves a Woman was popular at the time). Thus, directing insults or obscenities at the opposition team became known as "sledging".

For more details, please check the following link:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sledging_(cricket)#Origin