Former India chief selector MSK Prasad has clarified that he is against the use of any external source to shine the ball even as pundits have been debating the way forward with coronavirus pandemic posing a threat to the idea of using sweat and saliva to shine the ball to help it swing.
Following up from conversation that started in the show ‘Cricket Connected – Field Gurinchi Inti Nunchi’, Prasad said: “Law clearly states that we cannot use external sources to shine the ball which amounts to ball-tampering. If you are trying to propose that you can use external sources to shine the ball, then this is not very much different from using bottlecaps or picking the seam or any other banned objects. Because both these acts are aimed at making alterations to the ball.
“Hence, I am totally against this proposal of using external sources to bring in more shine to the ball. Law also clearly states that we can use only internal sources like sweat & saliva. But there is a discussion that due to the current COVID situation this also should be banned. Pat Cummins expressed his concern and worry for this proposal. I totally endorse the genuine concerns of Pat Cummins.”
In an interview on the Kolkata Knight Riders website, Pat Cummins commented on shining the ball and said: “Things are going to change in all sports and in the way we live around the world, [but] I don’t want them to totally ban shining the ball. I want them to come up with another option, because I think it’s a big part of cricket.”