Delhi: During the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, India’s Pacer Mohammed Shami tamped up the painful rag of the fast bowlers playing at the moment and demanded the removal of saliva to shine the cricket ball. Before further discussion on this issue, understand why the bowlers used to put their saliva on the ball? Traditionally, the bowlers used saliva to brighten one side of the ball, lubricate his surface and make it a little heavy on that side. Even bowlers used to chew Mint and Candy to make this saliva more effective because sweet saliva becomes more heavy, which makes the cricket ball shine more effective. All this is not done now because the ICC banned the use of saliva on the ball. He has been supported by more fast bowlers on what Shami said.
Why should this ban law change? The 5 biggest reasons in its support are known:
5. Due to the use of two balls in ODIs, support for the bowler was already less.
The record witness is that since 2011, the ball does not rub the ball as before, with the use of two balls in an innings in ODIs and this increased the scoring rate. After that, if it became more difficult to gain reverse swing from the ban on the use of saliva, then the effect of the fast bowler decreased further. Results: The balance of equality between the ball and the bat has been constantly disturbed and the batsmen are in profit.
4. Experts who talk about the use of people instead of saliva, they were not particularly effective
It was known that saliva is easily available for the bowler and the ball shining, which the bowlers used according to the need. When it was banned on this, the experts said they should use sweat. There is no ban on the use of sweat in law, but this saliva is not as good polishing agent because it does not contain mucus (smoothness). In addition, not only the ball absorbs sweat, more sweat softens the ball, which the bowler does not want. Reason: There is no bounce in a soft ball, does not rotate fast and after the pitch, its speed does not remain intact. Result: It is easy for the batsman to deal with. Sweat is not easily available together because it comes less in cold weather. Similarly, experts said about Vaseline, but it is also lighter than sweat. Ashish Nehra once said- ‘Vaseline helps to maintain glow, but it does not make the ball heavy from one side.’
3. Because of which saliva was banned, why does it not end now?
The use of saliva was imposed due to covid. Kovid was not an epidemic till September 2022, but the ICC then turned this ban into a law, permanently taxing. Well, during the time of Kovid, there was a fear that touching each other’s saliva is dangerous and British PM Boris Johnson described the cricket ball as ‘Kovid Career’. Now Kovid is not afraid of before, so why not remove these bans?
2. Due to this ban, the demand for change in ball was not supported
On the issue of loss in swing from the ban on the use of saliva, the big ball manufacturer said that they can make changes in the ball to keep the ball behave as before. The SG company, which supplied the ball for BCCI cricket in India, said that they are ready for change but BCCI should give instructions for this. The BCCI did not do anything like this. Dilip Jajodia, owner of British Cricket Balls Limited, says that there is no need for any change in the Dux ball. Overall, nothing happened on this issue.
1. Scoring rates are crossing every limit
Being less impressive swing and reverse swing made it easier for the batsmen to understand the ball and play their shots, making big scores and the atmosphere for batting is becoming easier. Fast bowlers are all worried as they are neither swinging the ball as before nor taking wickets. Result: They are becoming less effective.
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(Tagstotranslate) Indian National Cricket Team (T) IPL 2025 (T) Mohammed Shami