New Delhi: Former New Zealand fast bowler Tim Southee has voiced his support for India’s Mohammed Shami, backing his call to lift the ban on using saliva to shine the cricket ball, which would aid bowlers in generating reverse swing. The International Cricket Council (ICC) imposed the temporary restriction in May 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, preventing players from using saliva to polish the ball. In September 2022, the ban was made permanent. Following India’s victory over Australia in the Champions Trophy semifinal, Shami expressed his views on the matter. “We are trying (to get reverse swing), but the usage of saliva on the ball is not allowed. 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.”
Backing Shami’s appeal, Southee encouraged the ICC to lift the prohibition on using saliva to polish the ball, providing bowlers with a fair advantage.
“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.”
The experienced New Zealand fast bowler pointed out that applying saliva to one side of the ball to generate reverse swing is more potent in Test cricket compared to limited-overs formats.
“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 said.
“I think there is an advantage to having saliva on the ball, probably more so in red-ball cricket than white-ball cricket,” he added.
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