By Karan Agrawal 
India’s experienced fast bowler Mohammed Shami has earned the support of former players as they urge the ICC to reconsider the ban on the use of saliva to shine the ball. The governing body of the sport banned the application of saliva on the ball in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic as the decision-makers felt that it was unsafe considering the circumstances during that particular period. There has been a significant drop in the number of options that a bowler has at his disposal to get the ball to reverse swing since the ban on saliva. “We are trying [to get reverse swing], but the usage of saliva on the ball is not allowed.” “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,” Shami said after India’s win over Australia in the Champions Trophy.
The Support
Following Shami’s comments, former players like Tim Southee and Vernon Phillender have voiced their support towards the fast bowler. “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.”
The Opportunity
Former South African all rounder Vernon Phillander also raised his opinion on the ban on the use of saliva and how it would have helped South Africa at the backend of their bowling innings against New Zealand in the second semifinal “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.”
The Advantage
Southee feels that the use of saliva is more helpful in red ball cricket as compared to the white ball format. “I think the ball only swings initially for a few overs [in white-ball cricket]. But with the red ball, you are able to bring it back and obviously sweat can be limited at times in various parts of the world, whereas saliva you’re able to obviously have access to it from a number of sources and in all parts of the world,” he said. “I think there is an advantage to having saliva on the ball, probably more so in red-ball cricket than white-ball cricket.”
The Difference
Explaining the difference between the use of saliva and sweat, Phillander said, “With the South African team, we were always trying to keep the ball as dry as possible.” “The minute you start erring on the side of sweat, I think you start wetting both sides of the ball. Your hands get sweaty, especially when you play in hot, humid conditions.” “Saliva was definitely the preferred method of shining the ball. In the longer run in the scheme of things, I’d like to see that being brought back. As far as sweat is concerned, I do feel that it’s difficult to control the amount of sweat you put on the ball, [especially when] you start sweating obviously heavily.”