Revoke ban on using saliva on ball, says Mohammed Shami to the ICC as it helps to make it a level playing field.
Revoke ban on usage of saliva on ball is India pacer Mohammed Shami’s plea to the ICC.
“We are trying [to get reverse swing], but the usage of saliva on the ball is not allowed,” Shami told reporters after India’s four-wicket win over Australia in the Champions Trophy semi-final. “We keep appealing that we should be allowed to use saliva so that we can bring reverse swing back into the game and it becomes interesting.”
In May 2020, during the Covid-19 pandemic, the temporary ban on polishing the ball with saliva was first implemented. The ICC then decided to make the ban permanent in September 2022.
Shami has called on the ICC to immediately reevaluate their choice. Two former international bowlers, Tim Southee and Vernon Philander, support him as well because they believe that reverse swing is a crucial component of the game, particularly on batter-friendly surfaces.
“That was a rule brought around Covid with the virus going around the world, but I think as a bowler, you want to have a slight advantage,” Southee said on ESPNcricinfo’s Match Day. “We see the game going the way it’s going and seeing sides score 362 and more often than not over 300 in this format. I think there needs to be something in the bowlers’ favour, and whether that’s a little bit of saliva, then yeah, I don’t see why they couldn’t afford to get that back in.”
In the Champions Trophy semi-final matchup with New Zealand, Philander believed that South Africa may have benefited by the use of reverse swing and saliva, especially in the latter portion of the innings. In 50 overs, New Zealand scored 362 for 6.
“If we look at the state of that ball, I mean towards the back end, it was really scuffed up, and I think had you used the saliva [to polish one side of the ball], the element of the reverse swing might have come into play,” Philander said. “So it certainly does play a part. You can get it to shine up and you use the elements to swing it a little longer.
“I’d like to see that element being brought back into the game because I think it’s needed as well. I mean, especially in ODI cricket where we see batters really dominating, especially when you play on surfaces like we’ve just seen in Pakistan as well where it’s really batter friendly.”