The International Cricket Council (ICC) has made modifications to the game including ban of saliva for a temporary period until the COVID-19 pandemic is causing no issues.
Unlike many other bowlers round the world, the Indian pacer Mohammad Shami said he doesn’t have any issues with saliva ban until the ball is shining. However the reverse swing can be maintained with alternative ball shining methods.
Shami who spoke with Rohit Juglan on Instagram chat said it would be difficult to maintain shine without saliva, but cannot go against the rules.
ICC decides to take such decisions so as to take care of the players by reducing the spread of coronavirus, even after the complete lockdown is lifted by the government of India. So BCCI is also planning to conduct training camps possibly starting from Aug-Sep window.
In its previous meeting, the ICC Cricket Committee led by Anil Kumble also supported the saliva ban and made a proposal to use sweat for ball shining. But many players feel that this method wouldn’t be as effective as saliva usage.
