As a safety precaution against COVID-19, the ICC decided to officially ban the use of saliva to shine cricket balls.
Usually, cricket balls were polished with the help of saliva as it was advised by the ICC to never use any foreign substance that may affect the ball’s quality. However, the outbreak of COVID-19 which had badly affected the world is believed to transmit through body fluids like saliva.
With that, the ICC bans the use of both methods to ensure the safety of the players and of everyone who makes up any cricket match. Still, the ICC believes that sweat may still be used to polish a ball because medical advice showed that it is highly unlikely that the virus can be transmitted in that way.
It may also be recalled that Kookaburra has formulated a wax applicator which may especially be used to shine a cricket ball. Still, the ICC has not yet approved the use of such.
Whatever happens, the ICC still has the safety of everyone as their primary focus compared to anything else. ‘We are living through extraordinary times and the recommendations the Committee have made today are interim measures to enable us to safely resume cricket in a way that preserves the essence of our game whilst protecting everyone involved’, ICC’s Anil Kumble said.
Cricket matches from all around the world remain to be cancelled or postponed at the moment as the world continues to battle against COVID-19. To learn more about how cricket is played, check out Betwala.
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