Mohammed Shami has requested the ICC to reverse the ban on using saliva to shine the ball, so that reverse swing should return back in the cricket. The saliva ban was imposed in May 2020 because of COVID-19 pandemic, for limiting the spread of virus from person to person, because saliva could be major reason of spreading infection.
“We are trying [to get reverse swing], but the usage of saliva on the ball is not allowed,” Shami told reporters after India’s victory against Australia in the Champions Trophy semi-final. “We keep appealing that we should be allowed to use saliva so that we can bring reverse swing back into the game and it becomes interesting.”
Firstly in May 2020, this saliva ban was a temporary decision by ICC, but ICC made this ban permanent later in September 2022.
Shami has requested the ICC to review their decision now. Two former international bowlers Vernon Philander and Tim Southee are also in his support, they also want reverse swing to returnback in the game, especially on batter-friendly pitches.
“That was a rule brought around Covid with the virus going around the world, but I think as a bowler, you want to have a slight advantage,” Southee said on ESPNcricinfo’s Match Day. “We see the game going the way it’s going and seeing sides score 362 and more often than not over 300 in this format. I think there needs to be something in the bowlers’ favour, and whether that’s a little bit of saliva, then yeah, I don’t see why they couldn’t afford to get that back in.”
Philander also felt that the reverse swing could be helpful for South Africa in the Champions Trophy against New Zealand, in the semi-final match, specially in the later half of the innings.
“If we look at the state of that ball, I mean towards the back end, it was really scuffed up, and I think had you used the saliva (to polish one side of the ball), the element of the reverse swing might have come into play,” Philander said. “So it certainly does play a part. You can get it to shine up and you use the elements to swing it a little longer.”
“I’d like to see that element being brought back into the game because I think it’s needed as well. I mean, especially in ODI cricket where we see batters really dominating, especially when you play on surfaces like we’ve just seen in Pakistan as well where it’s really batter friendly.”
Southee experienced that use of saliva and reverse swing could make more impact in red-ball cricket rather than in white-ball.
“I think the ball only swings initially for a few overs (in white-ball cricket). But with the red ball, you are able to bring it back and obviously sweat can be limited at times in various parts of the world, whereas saliva you’re able to obviously have access to it from a number of sources and in all parts of the world,” he explained. “I think there is an advantage to having saliva on the ball, probably more so in red-ball cricket than white-ball cricket.”
