The spread of COVID-19 has largely impacted ?many sports, including?? cricket. But whenever healthy life resumes the future of shining a ball would be the biggest question as the International Cricket Council (ICC) has recently issued new guidelines including a ban on usage of saliva.

No wonder the decision from the international apex body has left the bowlers confused who are habitual of using saliva all these years to g??ain an advantage. In general, cricketers often use their saliva to keep one side of the ball shiny so that the bowlers can generate swing. But now the whole process could change.

Meanwhile, India legend Sachin Tendulkar has dropped a piece of friendly advice to Sri Lankan veteran Lasith Malinga and has asked the fast bowler to change his run-up routine. Malinga is widely popular for his unique bowling act??ion. The right-armer tends to kiss the ball every time before running up to bowl a delivery.

Now, after the latest updates in rules related to shining of the ball, Malinga might have to change his run-up routine. Speaking about the same, Sachin passed a witty comment on his former Mumbai Indians (MI) ?teammate on Twitter.

Sachin posted a picture of Malinga kissing the ball and wrote: “A certain someone will have to also change his run-up routine with the new @icc rules! What say Mali? #LasithMalinga”.

A certain someone will have to also change his run up routine with the new @icc rules! What say Mali?😋#LasithMalinga pic.twitter.com/rHqbXZ3LMj

— Sachin Tendulkar (@sachin_rt) June 23, 2020

In cricket, shining a ball with saliva is a traditional practice, which is entirely legal as well, as long as mints aren’t used to gain an illegitimate benefit. Since the coronavirus is reported to spread via respiratory droplets, ICC came up with a decision to ban the usage of saliva.

Earlier, the Australian cricket ball manufacturer Kookaburra came up with an alternative to saliva by developing a wax applicator which will act as a subst??itute to shine the ball.

Some media reports had also suggested that the ICC is considering the possibility of allowing the use of?? artificial substances to polish the ball, however, it will be entirely under the supervision of umpires.

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The ICC cricket committee has officially recommended that saliva must not ??be used to shine the ball in light of the health and safety risk it poses across the world currently inhabited by the coronavirus (COVID-19).

Meanwhile, the Committee was of the view that it is highly unlikely that the novel coronavirus could be transmitted through sweat and saw no need to prohibit the use of the same to polish the ball. It did, however, call for the? implementation of enhanced hygiene measures on and around the playing field. Chaired by Anil Kumble, the Committee sought advice from Dr Peter Harcour, Member of the ICC Medical Advisory Committee before taking the final call.

The recomme??ndations, which also ?suggest the use of home umpires, will be presented for approval in early June.

If the use of home umpires – as opposed to neutrals – is passed, the ICC may also allow one additional DRS review per team per innings as “an interim measure”.

“We are living through extraordinary times and the recommendations the committee have made today are interim measures to enable us to safely resume cricket in a way that preserves the essence of our game while protecting everyone involved,” said Kumble in an ICC release.

“The ICC Cricket Committee heard from the Chair of the ICC Medical Advisory Committee Dr Peter Harcourt regarding the elevated risk of the transmission of the virus through saliva, and unanimously agreed to recommend that the use of saliva to polish the ball be prohibited,” the apex body said in the release.

To swing the ball, especially in the longest format, fast bowlers around the world use?d to apply saliva on the cherry, but the practice is now being seen as hazardo?us for health.

As the ICC contemplated banning the u??se of saliva la??st month, it became a hot topic of discussion in the cricket fraternity. Only time will tell how much of an imbalance between the bat and ball will the whole thing cause.

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