Crisis shines a new light on practice

THE pandemic has changed many aspects of life and one of the most fundamental parts of cricket has now come under the microscope - the shining of the ball.

With the world now more germ conscious than ever, former Australia paceman and current Sussex head coach Jason Gillespie has questioned whether the age-old practice of maintaining a cricket ball, typically achieved with saliva and sweat, can be sustainable once the sport resumes.

Currently back in Australia after the postponement of the English county season, Gillespie voiced what many had thought even before the pandemic - that the ritual of bowlers and fielders imparting saliva on to the ball was, when given some thought, actually “pretty gross”.

“I don’t think it’s a quirky question. It’s an actual genuine thing to be considered,” Gillespie said.

“I don’t think anything is off the table. It could be a point where at the end of each over, the umpires allow the players to shine the ball in front of them but you can only do it then.

“I don’t know. Is it just sweat? Can you only use sweat? I don’t have an answer to that but it certainly will be a conversation that will be had. If you think about it, it is pretty gross.”

With some local cricket associations discouraging the use of saliva to shine the ball towards the end of the Australian season which finished last month, the question of banning the practice has also raised concerns for Australia paceman Josh Hazlewood, who said shining a Test ball “does a lot” for its longevity.

“I think with a white ball it would be fine,” he said in reference to limited-overs cricket. “But in Test match cricket it (not shining the ball) is going to be very hard I think.”

With scrapping ball maintenance altogether not an option that bears contemplation for Hazlewood, the 29-year-old predicted different scenarios would be contemplated, such as having one designated “shiner” in a team.

“Whether you use saliva or sweat, maybe one person could do it? I’m not sure,” he said.