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In the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, to avoid the dangers of rubbing saliva on the ball, cricket is deliberating the use of an artificial substance such as wax or bitumen to facilitate bowling. Indeed, he is manipulating the balls under the current set of Laws, but the proposal says that it will happen under the strict supervision of the referees. ESPNcricinfo asked five former fast bowlers what they thought of replacing saliva or sweat with an artificial substance. This is what they had to say.
Do not allow sweat or saliva, murder bowlers: Ashish Nehra
What is ball handling? When you scratch the ball on one side with your fingernail, the bottle cap, your spikes or any other means. But that doesn’t make the ball roll back. You have to use saliva, sweat, murray mints, etc., not only to make the ball shine, but also to make the other side heavy. This is how you traditionally get the reverse swing.
The other important thing to note is that fast bowlers should practice using artificial substances that will be allowed during a match under the supervision of the referee. You can’t expect fast bowlers to come to a Test match and suddenly start swinging the ball even in a conventional way.
Bowlers should have the experience of using these artificial substances, such as wax or bitumen, what you are talking about to make the ball shine and understand their behavior. Also different balls – Kookaburra, SG Test, Dukes – will behave differently on different surfaces. So there are a lot of unknowns as far as I’m concerned.
How many times am I allowed to approach the referee to use the artificial substance to make the ball shine? When we put saliva, I would sometimes rub it after every second or third delivery. There are different ways to make the ball shine. Sometimes you don’t shine the other side completely, especially if your ball has landed in the seam. Sometimes the ball goes to the limit or in the stands and comes back damaged, then you make it shine differently.
You shine a Kookaburra in a different way, a Dukes in a different way, and you shine the SG Test in a different way. You shine a new ball differently. When the ball is old and is reversing. sometimes you put more sweat. When the ball is not going backwards, you are just using saliva. When there is a new ball, you only spit very, very little, where there is a scratch. What I’m trying to say is that there are several different ways to make the ball shine.
Let’s say that a test match is activated and the ball, SG Test, is semi-new, it has approximately 25 overs. But he is not backing up and the ball has become a little soft. The referee refuses to replace the ball. Now if you put too much spit on SG Test, the ball gets softer and softer. So you don’t get the zip as a fast bowler or even as a spinner.
You should also make sure that your teammates are not using too much sweat or saliva in that scenario. Told me [Javagal] Srinath when I was young when to shine and no, and similarly, I passed the advice on to other young people: that it is better to hold down the execution rate and once the ball starts to roll back when it is a little older, we can apply sweat or spit to facilitate more rocking.
Therefore, legalizing the use of some artificial substances to make the ball shine under supervision will not suddenly help to swing the ball. Because you are used to working on the ball naturally using saliva and sweat at different points on different balls in different conditions on different surfaces.
I think a better option might be to allow a team to choose a player who will specifically take care of using saliva on the ball when shining is necessary. That is a much better alternative because that way we can continue to work naturally on the ball.
By allowing artificial substances to help swing, the ICC is going back on its own rules. But as far as I’m concerned, allow wax, petroleum jelly, etc. on the ball is not exactly equivalent to handling the ball. If it actually says go ahead and hit the ball from the other side, then bowlers will probably welcome the move. Because with a little practice, bowlers will dominate hitters, who will surely say it’s unfair. But if you’re saying that the artificial substance can only be used on the shiny side and the other side can’t be touched, then you can see more instances of equipment piling up large amounts.
Personally, I feel that not allowing the use of sweat or saliva is murdering bowlers once again.
As told to Nagraj Gollapudi
I don’t understand the logic: Michael Holding
I have read that ICC is contemplating preventing people from using saliva on the ball due to Covid-19 and allowing them to use foreign substances on the ball to maintain brightness but in front of the referee. I don’t understand the logic behind that.
Before reaching that point, they said, if they restart cricket, it must be played in a bio-safe environment. They said that cricketers, for example, would have to isolate themselves for two weeks to make sure everything was fine by the time they got to the venue before the game started. And everyone involved (with the party) will have to do the same.
Now if you say that everyone is in a bio-safe environment, you are staying in the same hotel, you are not moving during the time you are playing games, if that is the case, why are you worried about saliva someone’s? ? That person, according to what he is doing, should be free of Covid-19. If the ICC thinks that the two-week period to prove that it is Covid-19 free is not foolproof, does that mean it is putting everyone in that environment at risk? Why would you want to play cricket under those circumstances? It is safe or it is not. Without guessing, please.
As told to Nagraj Gollapudi
It is not possible to prevent a bowler from using his sweat or saliva – Waqar Younis
As a fast bowler, I reject this because this [using saliva and sweat] It is a natural process. A ball exchanges hands all day. You go in, huffing and huffing, so you sweat and that gets on the ball. Also, using saliva is more natural than intentional. It is a habit and you simply cannot control this aspect.
I don’t know how this discussion came about, but I feel like people who want the game to be played are frustrated with the crash. They are thinking about it too much. I doubt that this new idea of using (artificial) substances instead of saliva is a solution. It can make a bowler use a predefined substance on the ball, but at the same time, it is practically impossible to prevent a bowler from using his sweat or spit.
As told to Umar Farooq
Interested in hearing what renowned hitters have to say: Allan donald
I totally agree with the legalization of ball manipulation. I said it in an article sometime in the 2000s. It happens anyway. We see boys throwing the ball to the ground and the referees say to throw it and it is quite obvious what they are doing.
It could work if it is well monitored. There is no reason why, if you are really fighting at SCG and looking for a reverse swing, you shouldn’t be able to try to get it working the ball. Match the game.
I don’t mean that you should be able to take the bottle caps to the field or bite the ball, but I really think there is scope to work on the ball, if it is well controlled. For example, maybe you could throw the ball to the ground for a period of time and that time elapses. I had never thought of bitumen. I guess you would take a whole box and start polishing.
When I started, I had a conversation with the great Imran Khan and he told me that they used to get one side of the ball very wet, wet, sweaty and that it would get heavy and keep the other side shiny. It was hard work and took a long time, so if there is another way, that could work too. We know that in baseball they use something, I think it is still a mystery, to make the ball swing and sink.
I am quite surprised to hear that this is being considered. It is very enlightening. I’d be interested to know what big hitters say about this because I’m sure there will be some comments. But I say that if there is something that can work, we could also give it a try.
As told to Firdose Moonda
How are you going to monitor what substance will be used? – Azhar Mahmood
I do not mind such a move, although I am more interested in how they will control which substance will be used. I think that ball manufacturers could play an important role in what is used, as they will know better what type of substance is better suited to the leather used in the ball. It could be that bowlers are allowed to use a small bottle, like a bottle of hand sanitizer, of the substance to use as a sparkle on the ball. “
As told to Osman Samiuddin
