Kumble-led ICC committee recommends ban on saliva due to pandemic

TIL Desk Sports/ The age-old trick of using saliva to shine a cricket ball could be a thing of the past when cricket resumes, with the International Cricket Council (ICC) on Monday recommending a change to the sport’s laws in the wake of the novel coronavirus.

The committee, chaired by former Indian spinner Anil Kumble, unanimously agreed to recommend a ban on saliva although players will still be allowed to use their own sweat to try and achieve the fabled ‘reverse swing’.

Cricketers have long used saliva and sweat to shine one side of the ball while allowing the other to become increasingly scuffed over the course of an innings. The technique alters the aerodynamics of the ball, allowing pace bowlers to generate movement in the air.