ICC COMMITTEE AGAINST SALIVA TO SHINE BALL

New Delhi, May 18: The Anil Kumble-led ICC Cricket Committee on Monday recommended banning the use of saliva to shine the ball owing to the Covid-19 pandemic.

During a meeting over a video conference, the committee also pushed for bringing back two nonneutral umpires for all internationals matches.

“We are living through extraordinary times and the recommendations the committee made today are interim measures to enable us to safely resume cricket in a way that preserves the essence of our game,” Kumble said in an ICC release.

The recommendations will be put before the ICC Board for ratification.

The use of saliva to shine the ball, especially in the red-ball format, is primarily meant for swing bowling but the practice is now being seen as a health risk. As the ICC last month contemplated banning the use of saliva as a safety measure in what is expected to be a very different world, it has throw the floor open for a fierce debate in the cricket community.

The ICC Cricket Committee heard from the Chair of the ICC Medical Advisory Committee Dr Peter Harcourt regarding the elevated risk of the transmission of the virus through saliva, and unanimously agreed to recommend that the use of saliva to polish the ball be prohibited. The Committee also noted the medical advice that it is highly unlikely that the virus can be transmitted through sweat and saw no need to prohibit the use of sweat to polish the ball whilst recommending that enhanced hygiene measures are implemented on and around the playing field. —