Coronavirus : Is it time to say goodbye to "spit and polish" on the cricket ball?

[MenInG]

The use of artificial substances to shine the cricket ball in the light of saliva ban remains an uncertain prospect with Australian manufacturer Kookaburra still awaiting the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) approval to use its newly developed wax applicator.

“Kookaburra is at the mercy of cricket’s governing bodies on this one. The wax applicator will need to be approved before it is used as an alternative to saliva, and we must respect that,” said David Orchard, general manager at Kookaburra.

The ICC last week ratified its Cricket Committee’s temporary recommendation to prohibit the use of saliva to polish the ball to counteract the coronavirus pandemic.

https://sportstar.thehindu.com/cric...d-19-coronavirus-pandemic/article31843466.ece

 

[Firebat]

Don’t sweat saliva ban, Dukes ball-maker offers solution

NEW DELHI: England’s premier ball manufacturer has some advice for bowlers worried about being unable to generate swing due to a ban on the use of saliva to shine the ball: “Carry a cotton towel.”

Polishing one side with sweat and saliva has been used by fast bowlers to alter the aerodynamics of the ball but the International Cricket Council (ICC) banned the use of saliva this month to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus.

Bowlers are still free to use sweat but some pacers are worried about not generating enough swing.

Dilip Jajodia, managing director of British Cricket Balls Ltd, which produces the Dukes balls used in Test matches in England, says they need not worry.

“The ball has to be right in the first place. Whether you apply saliva or perspiration or whatever, these are small things that help,” Jajodia told Reuters by telephone.

“We have a proper ball with a hand-stitched seam. It’s designed to swing as long as you have the skill.

“And now that ICC has confirmed that you can use perspiration, I don’t see any problem.”

When a player vigorously rubs the Dukes ball against his clothes, it releases the wax in it to permeate through leather and shine the ball, said Jajodia.

His advice for English and West Indian bowlers in their upcoming series is to carry a cotton towel like Barbadian great Malcolm Marshall.

“The great Malcolm Marshall was always seen with a little cotton towel hanging from his waist.

“And you see [England captain] Joe Root in a polyester shirt -- polishing and polishing the ball. He’s wasting his time, it does not work.

“You should polish it on a natural material like cotton. Just perspiration and cotton.

“Carry a cotton towel, and you’d be fine.”

https://www.dawn.com/news/1564193

 

[MenInG]

There has been a constant debate around the saliva ban for the past few months. Since the novel coronavirus pandemic shut down the world, cricket action has been postponed for more than 3 months. The International Cricket Council announced a slew of measures for the resumption of cricket which included a ban on using saliva to shine the ball. This resulted in current and former players calling for new measures as the game became heavily tilted towards the batsmen.

There has been a suggestion that wax could be used in the interim period to shine the ball.

The first cricket series to be played since the shutdown is between England and West Indies. The series will give more clarity on the future of the game in this Covid-19 world. However, West Indies pacer Kemar Roach has also said that cricket is now favouring the batsmen and has backed the idea of using wax to shine the cricket ball.

Roach also liked the idea of taking a second new ball after 50-55 overs during an innings of a Test match to ensure balance between bat and ball.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has already announced a temporary ban on applying saliva to the ball as a precautionary measure against the coronavirus. With this, many former and current players are suggesting some alternative ways to maintain the balance between bat and ball.

In an interaction with ANI from Manchester, Roach said that bowlers need to be given a chance and it should be ensured that the game does not tilt towards the batsmen.

“It is tough to gauge at this point. I have grown up playing cricket my entire life, using saliva to shine the ball. I guess we can try a wax and see how it works, but the new ball every 50 overs is a decent idea as well. At least give the bowlers a chance,” Roach told ANI.

“I think, right now, things are tilted towards the batting side. We have to experiment and try to find ways to balance the cricket and ensure we are keeping bowlers interested in the game,” he added.

Earlier, former Australian pacer Brett Lee had also thrown his weight behind applying wax to shine the cricket ball. In an interaction with Sachin Tendulkar on Master Blaster’s app ‘100 MB’, Lee had said that a substance can be used which is okay for both batsmen and bowlers.

During the chat, Tendulkar had also suggested taking a new ball after every 50 overs in an innings of a Test match to give bowlers something to play with.

Earlier, the ICC had said that players will not be permitted to use saliva to shine the ball. If a player does apply saliva to the ball, the umpires will manage the situation with some leniency during an initial period of adjustment for the players, but subsequent instances will result in the team receiving a warning.

A team can be issued up to two warnings per innings but repeated use of saliva on the ball will result in a 5-run penalty to the batting side. Whenever saliva is applied to the ball, the umpires will be instructed to clean the ball before play recommences.

All international cricket has been suspended since March due to the coronavirus pandemic, but the action is set to resume in July as England and West Indies will take on each other in the three-match Test series.

The first Test of the series will be played from July 8.

https://www.hindustantimes.com/cric...-saliva-ban/story-dK68VfWW0vB30BxZnXDyZP.html

 

[MenInG]

Cricket ball 'a natural vector of the disease', says PM Johnson

A bit more on that ban on cricket.

Mr Johnson says: "Everybody will want to add something on to the great wheelbarrow of measures that we're making and at a certain point there will come a straw that will break the camel's back.

"The ball is a natural vector of the disease... and we've been round it many times with our scientific friends. At the moment we're still working on ways of making cricket more Covid-secure.

"We can't change the guidance yet."

 

[Rana]

Cricket ball 'a natural vector of the disease', says PM Johnson

A bit more on that ban on cricket.

Mr Johnson says: "Everybody will want to add something on to the great wheelbarrow of measures that we're making and at a certain point there will come a straw that will break the camel's back.

"The ball is a natural vector of the disease... and we've been round it many times with our scientific friends. At the moment we're still working on ways of making cricket more Covid-secure.

"We can't change the guidance yet."

So why is Test Cricket still allowed? Pakistan are bringing 20 odd covid positive players to this country!

 

[MenInG]

Batting great Sachin Tendulkar has urged Sri Lanka fast bowler Lasith Malinga to do away with one his run-up routine in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Sachin Tendulkar, who has been vocal about the International Cricket Council (ICC) ban on saliva, shared a photo of Malinga kissing the cricket ball during his run-up and said the Sri Lanka great might have to make a change when with the new rules in place.

"A certain someone will have to also change his run up routine with the new @icc rules! What say Mali?" Tendulkar said in a Twitter post.

Lasith Malinga, who has picked up 546 international wickets in a decorated career, tends to kiss the cricket ball before beginning his run-up. However, in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, saliva is being seen as a carrier of the virus, according to the ICC.

The ICC earlier this month ratified the Cricket Committee's recommendations, which includes a ban on the usage of saliva.

Cricket Committee chairman Anil Kumble, speaking to India Today, said the measures are temporary solutions but necessary to make sure cricket resumes in a safe and secure environment.

While revealing that some of his friends have joked about the possibility of bowling machines replacing bowlers in the near future, Sachin Tendulkar urged the ICC to consider options, including usage of wax and a new ball after 50 overs to maintain the ball-bat balance in Test cricket.

"Some of my friends who are bowlers have told me that after some time we might see two bowling machines being used at both ends to feed balls to batsmen during matches and cricket will be played like that," Tendulkar said.

"The game will change for sure. According to the new rules from the ICC, saliva has been banned so how will the ball swing now or in the middle overs... In some countries players don't sweat much because of the weather, so how will you shine the ball?

"For such situations, a box of wax can be given to the umpires, ICC should decide how many grams of wax to give. Per innings, the quota can be set, whatever the ICC deems correct. They can decide whether to change the ball after 45-50 overs. If you give the bowlers more options then we can make it an even playing field. But with this saliva ban bowlers will be at a disadvantage."

https://www.indiatoday.in/sports/cr...ar-icc-saliva-ban-covid-19-1692243-2020-06-24

 

[MenInG]

Aamir Sohail in his blog on this issue:

ICC Technical Committee failed to take intelligent decisions

There is no doubt in anyone’s mind that the ongoing Coronavirus Pandemic has led to unprecedented testing times for the world of cricket. But I do believe that the ICC technical committee should have done a better job of taking decisions to help the game at this point in time. I specifically refer to the ban on using saliva to shine the ball which will have a huge affect on the ability of bowlers to swing the ball. Now saliva by nature is heavier than sweat and it does help in making the ball a little heavier on one side and it also has some enzymes which help in lubricating and providing shine to the ball.

With this ability to shine the ball taken away, the ICC should have considered other means of helping the bowlers such as allowing the new ball to be taken after 60 overs instead of the current limit of 80 overs. In addition, the use of artificial saliva which is used for people who are diabetic could have been explored as well. If we are asking players to risk their lives by playing cricket during the Coronavirus Pandemic, then it makes no sense for the ICC technical committee to pay scant regard to making the game even in terms of the ball and bat. We know these are tough times for all so exceptions should have been considered and out of the box thinking and a flexible approach was required which unfortunately, the ICC has failed to do.

 

[MenInG]

Former fast bowlers Ashish Nehra and Irfan Pathan believe India’s quicks will have a challenge, especially in Australian conditions, to operate without the use of saliva. The ICC, in May, banned the use of saliva – a crucial factor that helps generate reverse swing – in the post Covid-19 era of cricket.

Watching the struggles of England’s fast bowlers during the first Test against West Indies, Nehra and Pathan pointed out just how tough it is going to be for pacers around the world to bowl without saliva as a source to shine the ball.

Also Read | ‘Ganguly would take his sweet time to adjust cap, put on shoes’: Pathan describes Dada’s knack of turning up late for toss

“Jimmy Anderson was bowling short of length at times and he never bowls such short of length. Because the Dukes ball wasn’t swinging. The reason being lack of shine with no saliva being allowed and whenever he tried pitching up, the Windies batsmen were driving easily,” Nehra told PTI on Monday.


“Not being able to use saliva when there isn’t much perspiration will be a problem. Anderson’s strength is to pitch it up and get it to swing which leads to caught behind and slip catches. He looked half the bowler when it stopped swinging.”

India are scheduled to tour Australia in November for a T20I tri-series, followed by the four-Test Border-Gavaskar trophy. With three months left, and given the fact that the BCCI is yet decide on a training camp to help their cricketers get back in the groove, the fast bowlers will be up for a grave challenge, feels Pathan. He however has a solution – the use of an external factor – that may help tilt the balance back in the favour of fast bowlers.

“Allow use of external substance or else for some time forget that reverse swing exists. Make pitches that will be conducive to seam bowling. Since saliva is thicker, it affects reverse swing more than conventional swing which requires sweat for shining the ball. Till the pandemic is there and the rule stays, the bowlers will have it a bit tougher than usual,” Pathan suggested PTI.

“If you ask me keep a bit of moisture to make it 60/40 in favour of bowlers. If there’s moisture, the ball would grip the surface and then both sweat and saliva are out of equation. Hit the seam and ball will move around, or else there will be dead rubbers.”

Deep Dasgupta, the former India wicketkeeper feels that given the Kookaburra balls’ nature to go ineffective on flat tracks, the fast bowlers will have a mountain to climb. He however disagreed with Pathan’s idea of adding extra moisture on the surface believing it may end up harming the pitch as days progress in a Test match.

“The Australian tracks are flat and the kookaburra seam will flatten after 20 overs. With no saliva, it will be a more onerous task as there won’t be reverse swing available. Indian pacers will have a bigger challenge to deal with double pressure,” Dasgupta told PTI.

“Too much of moisture can create indents on the pitch and batting in the fourth innings may just become a challenge. Better to have two new balls from both ends. That allows spinners to get more purchase and bounce off the pitch.”

https://www.hindustantimes.com/cric...an-weigh-in/story-ZjvEeq0BAqrggNShBhVs6N.html

 

[The Viper]

Brett Lee Says Saliva Ban Won't Matter With Kookaburra Balls As It Doesn't Swing Much

Former Australian pacer Brett Lee has said that the saliva ban would not matter when matches are being played with the Kookaburra ball as it does not naturally swing much. The International Cricket Council (ICC) had recently banned the use of saliva on the ball as a precautionary measure against COVID-19 and many former players have suggested using alternatives on the ball to make the contest between bat and ball more even. "I think it is definitely a disadvantage to the bowlers. Maybe the other option was to test all the players before they go out on the field and only allow the ones that are cleared to take part in the game. I do not think it matters with the kookaburra ball as it has not been swinging recently much anyway," Lee told ANI.

The former Australian pacer also said that reverse swing will not come into play much because of the saliva ban.

"Yes, I do not think we are going to see any reverse swing or little anyway because of the saliva ban," Lee said.

International cricket resumed last week with England and West Indies facing each other in a three-Test series. The first match was won by West Indies by four wickets and many people raised questions over the performance of pacer James Anderson.

Anderson looked quite rusty and was not seen producing the swing he normally does. However, Lee said that one should not be critical of Anderson as it was the first match for England after a very long time.

"He (Anderson) is one of the best bowlers in the world in terms of pacers so I don't think we could be too hard on him. Maybe he did not have the best match but he is still a real asset to England," Lee said.

Lee recently came on board as a brand ambassador for SportsAdda. SportsAdda is a platform that will provide all updates, insights, and statistics related to cricket, kabaddi and football.

"In Brett Lee, we not only have an athlete who has plied his trade at the highest level, but also one of the most passionate, smart, and revered names in cricket," SportsAdda's spokesperson, Ashish Rana said.

Commenting on the tie-up, Lee said, "As a former cricketer, I cannot stress enough on the importance of a great partnership. So, I am excited and honoured to partner up with the SportsAdda team."

"Winning was always the ultimate goal for me but having fun on the cricket field as well as off it was just as important. Part of the reason why I hopped on board SportsAdda is the culture of being the industry leaders at delivering sports content, but also making it fun and engaging for our rapidly-growing fan base. I have had a taste of what's in store and I cannot wait to get started," he added.

https://sports.ndtv.com/cricket/bre...kaburra-balls-as-it-doesnt-swing-much-2263471

 

[The Viper]

The umpires disinfect the ball after Dom Sibley admitted to accidentally using some saliva on it.

Teams get two warnings before a five-run penalty is applied.

<a href="https://ibb.co/N29q89V"><img src="https://i.ibb.co/HTtyWtF/2ee6f5a1-051f-433e-b26b-701be9c52bce.jpg" alt="2ee6f5a1-051f-433e-b26b-701be9c52bce" border="0"></a>

 

[MenInG]

Cricket Australia (CA) has restricted its players from using sweat from the head, face and neck to shine the ball during the upcoming limited overs tour of England in a bid to reduce the risk of Covid-19 transmission.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has banned the use of saliva on the ball as an interim health safety measure in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. However, a player is still permitted to use sweat from anywhere on the body and rub it on the ball.

But CA is taking a cautious approach to reduce any risk of transmission of the novel coronavirus. Based on medical advice the board has asked its players to not use sweat from near the mouth or nose, according to Cricket.com.au.

This leaves players with option of using sweat from either their stomach or back, during the white-ball series against England, starting September 4 in Southampton.

The team’s premier pacer Mitchell Starc feels the regulation will not have much affect in the limited overs formats. “It’s probably not something that’s too relevant in white-ball cricket. Once that new ball starts to go, you’re trying to keep it dry anyway. It’s more of a question for red-ball cricket,” Starc said.

“No doubt we’ll find out what it’s like in these practice games and if we need to revisit some planning around it, I’m sure we’ll have a chat before the series gets underway,” he added.

England players were seen using sweat from their backs or forehead during the series against West Indies and Pakistan.

“I think we saw a bit during that England (Test) series, Jofra (Archer) using some sweat off his back and that sort of thing.” Starc, who is also in Australia’s Test side, feels if things don’t change similar restrictions will remain in place during the team’s home season.

“If the world stays as it is for a little while, those restrictions will still be there. That saliva one will probably be around for a lot longer anyway,” Starc said.

However, the pacer said discussions regarding the regulation will need to take place when the team’s Test assignments start. “It’s one for the red-ball team to talk about when we get to that point, but at the moment we’re pretty good,” Starc said.

https://www.hindustantimes.com/cric...ngland-tour/story-FLwbDhgcyHRnW8Kr2E4MVK.html

 

[MenInG]

Experienced left-arm pacer Wahab Riaz on Saturday received a warning from umpires for breaching the coronavirus regulations by using saliva to shine the ball during the first T20 International between Pakistan and Zimbabwe in Rawalpindi.

The incident took place in the 11th over when Wahab started his over in the Zimbabwe innings, and umpires Aleem Dar and Asia Yaqoob spotted the indiscretion and asked the bowler to leave the ball on the ground.

Play resumed only after the reserve umpires brought sanitary wipes into the ground, which were used to clean the ball.

“I think with the players and officials all in a secure bio-bubble during a series because of the COVID-19 situation, authorities need to revisit the regulations governing the game nowadays due to the pandemic,” Ramiz Raja, former Pakistan captain-turned-commentator, said.

Pakistan pacer Mohammad Amir was also warned for applying saliva on the ball during the first T20I against England at the Old Trafford in August.

In the ongoing Indian Premier League, Royal Challengers Bangalore skipper Virat Kohli and Rajasthan Royals batsman Robin Uthappa were also seen applying saliva on the ball while fielding against Delhi Capitals and Kolkata Knight Riders, respectively.

According to the ICC regulations, three warnings for using saliva on the ball result in a five-run penalty for the fielding side.

The International Cricket Council had banned the use of saliva to shine the ball due to the COVID-19 pandemic in June this year.

https://sportstar.thehindu.com/cric...n-vs-zimbabwe-series/article33048052.ece/amp/

 

[MenInG]

The MCC World Cricket committee (WCC) met recently via Conference Call. It was the first meeting of 2021, following the postponement of the physical meetings which were planned for 2020.

Applying saliva on the ball

Prior to the start of the England v West Indies Test series in 2020, there were interim changes made to the ICC’s playing regulations, including the ban on applying saliva to the ball, in light of Covid-19.

As Guardian of the Laws of the game, MCC assisted with the writing of the ICC’s playing regulation and supported the recommendation. Similar regulations were also written for domestic and recreational cricket.

Since the regulations were introduced, the committee has been closely monitoring the application of only sweat on the ball in relation to the balance of the game. There were some fears raised initially that prohibiting the use of saliva may make conditions too friendly to batsmen.

The committee debated prohibiting the use of saliva on the ball on a permanent basis and whilst there was a significant level of support for such a recommendation, some members felt that eliminating the use of saliva on a permanent basis is premature, and that it may be possible to allow its use once again in a post-Covid world.

Whilst proposing that the ICC playing regulation remains in place for the immediate future, the committee will continue to monitor the impact of the no-saliva regulation, and will also seek the view of current players before deciding whether or not proposing a change of Law would be appropriate at a later stage.

Such a Law change would have the dual benefit of being more hygienic whilst also eliminating the grey area of players using sweets and chewing gum to make their saliva more sugary.

 

[MenInG]

Law 41.3 – No saliva - latest MCC Rules update

When cricket resumed following the onset of Covid-19, playing conditions were written in most forms of the game stating that applying saliva to the ball was no longer permitted. MCC’s research found that this had little or no impact on the amount of swing the bowlers were getting. Players were using sweat to polish the ball, and this was equally effective.

The new Laws will not permit the use of saliva on the ball, which also removes any grey areas of fielders eating sugary sweets to alter their saliva to apply to the ball. Using saliva will be treated the same way as any other unfair methods of changing the condition of the ball.

 

[MenInG]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Use of saliva to polish the ball: This prohibition has been in place for over two years in international cricket as a Covid-related temporary measure and it is considered appropriate for the ban to be made permanent <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cricket?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Cricket</a></p>— Saj Sadiq (@SajSadiqCricket) <a href="https://twitter.com/SajSadiqCricket/status/1572126947328622595?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 20, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[cricketjoshila]

So no saliva. How to shine the ball then? There may be conditions where you may not sweat much.

First 2 new balls in ODIs. Now this. Basically reverse swing will disappear from cricket.

Why is this happening?

 

[TheSultan]

So no saliva. How to shine the ball then? There may be conditions where you may not sweat much.

First 2 new balls in ODIs. Now this. Basically reverse swing will disappear from cricket.

Why is this happening?

This is because the world sees bowlers as second class citizens.

I do not understand why this madness is allowed. Surely someone in the ICC should be representing the bowlers.

I understand the balance of power is with India and in the past that would translate to a batsman’s game. But india have good bowlers now. They should be pushing for even-ing the playing field.

 

[BouncerGuy]

New Zealand all-rounder Glenn Phillips appears to apply saliva to match ball during Bangladesh Test

New Zealand all-rounder Glenn Phillips has been accused of applying saliva to the match ball during the first Test against Bangladesh in Sylhet.

On day three of the series opener at Sylhet International Cricket Stadium, cameras captured the moment Phillips appeared to use saliva on the ball during the 34th over of Bangladesh’s second innings.

The on-field umpires didn’t take any action at the time, but Bangladesh team manager Nafees Iqbal confirmed he had seen the footage and informed the fourth official.

Applying saliva to the match ball was common before the Covid-19 pandemic, but Law 41.3 was updated in October 2022, banning the practice.

In November last year, United Arab Emirates cricketer Alishan Sharafu was caught applying saliva on the ball during an ODI against Nepal, with his opponents awarded five penalty runs.
​

SOURCE: FOXSPORTS