In order to prevent the spread of coronavirus when cricket resumes, the ICC has prohibited the use of saliva to shine the ball.
Jasprit Bumrah file image. (Photo: Surjeet Yadav/IANS)
India pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah feels that the International Cricket Council (ICC) must bring an alternative for bowlers in the post-saliva-ban period.
In order to prevent the spread of coronavirus when cricket resumes, the ICC has prohibited the use of saliva to shine the ball.
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The discussion was in the public forum for a long time, however, it was last month when the committee of the apex cricket body proposed the idea of banning the use of saliva to shine the balls and the ICC recently gave its nod to the plan.
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The ban of saliva has prompted many to ask for an alternative substance to maintain the shine of the ball as they believe it would create an imbalance between batsmen and bowlers if the ball was not polished.
Speaking to Ian Bishop and Shaun Pollock on the ICC’s video series Inside Out interviews, Bumrah said he is not troubled by the guidelines for celebrations during a cricket match but ponders on the saliva ban.
“I was not much of a hugger anyway! And not a high-five person as well, so that doesn’t trouble me a lot. The only thing that interests me is the saliva bit,” said Bumrah as quoted by IANS.
“I don’t know what guidelines we’ll have to follow when we come back, but I feel there should be an alternative. If the ball is not well maintained, it’s difficult for the bowlers.
“The grounds are getting shorter and shorter, the wickets are becoming flatter and flatter. So we need something, some alternative for the bowlers to maintain the ball so that it can do something – maybe reverse in the end or conventional swing,” he added.
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