Australian player Pat Cummins calls for an alternative method to shine cricket balls after the ICC banned the use of saliva.
Recently, the ICC banned the use of saliva to shine cricket balls so as to help prevent the possible spread of COVID-19 among players and staff. After that announcement, the ICC ensured that sweat may still be used to shine the balls instead of what had been accustomed to. With that, Pat Cummins called for the ICC to come up with another option for the ball’s condition.
As per Cummins, ‘If we remove saliva, we have to have another option. Sweat's not bad, but I think we need something more than that, ideally. Whatever that is, wax or I don't know what. If that's what that science is telling us, that it's high risk using saliva ... as long as we're keeping other options open, whether that's sweat or something artificial’.
However, the ICC has a policy which states that the usage of an artificial substance to shine or change the condition of the ball isn’t allowed. That said policy may have been the reason as to why the ICC still hasn’t approved of Kookaburra’s manufactured wax.
Still, Cummins is glad that sweat may still be used to shine the balls. He says, ‘We have to be able to shine the ball somehow so I'm glad they've let sweat remain. We've just got to make sure at the start of the spell we're sweating and we're nice and warm. Late in the day in Australia, it'll be fine, but certainly on a cold day (it could be difficult)’.
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