|| CF Correspondent ||

Bangladesh pace bowler Ebadat Hossain said that legalizing ball tampering can be a good move if using saliva is restricted when cricket resumes in post Covid-19 pandemic era due to health reasons.

According to a leading cricket website coronavirus may force the ICC to allow use of artificial substances under the supervision of umpires to help polish the red ball in longest format, instead of using saliva.

The problem posed by the use of saliva to polish the ball is understood to be among the items raised by the ICC's medical committee to be addressed before cricket can resume, meaning that lateral thinking is required to allow bowlers and teams to continue to find effective ways to shine the ball to help encourage conventional or reverse swing.

Decision-makers well understand the need for the ball to be polished to enable a fair balance in the contest between bat and ball beyond the early overs of an innings. As a consequence they are open to the option of allowing for the use of an agreed artificial substance to polish the ball under the supervision of the umpires - in the fashion they currently allow the ball to be cleaned by players under supervision. This would effectively allow for what is currently considered ball-tampering, in the interests of health and safety.

Saliva has long been used as a way of keeping one side of the ball shiny to help produce swing but it could cause health risk according to World Health Organization (WHO) advisory it could cause health risk and as a result the cricket world may see the bar of using saliva that was used by the pacers from the beginning of the game.

Such a move would likely require flexibility in terms of the substance depending on the ball being used. Kookaburra, Dukes and SG balls, to name three, are all likely to respond better to slightly different substances such as leather moisturiser, wax or shoe polish. It would also require a degree of flexibility in terms of being allowed at all levels of the game, to prevent players at every level from sharing a ball that has been lathered in saliva.

Fast bowlers around the world believes that Test match would become tougher for them if the saliva is taken out of the equation and already some pace bowlers have showed their concern as there is possibility of stopping the long tradition.

Bangladesh’s Test pace bowler Ebadat said that he welcomes it[using other substances to shine the ball] with both hands. as it will help to have an even contest between bat and ball.

“It is very tough to survive without shining the ball, especially in Test cricket.I have heard that there is a discussion going on that if saliva is restricted we will be allowed to use something else to shine the balls because normally we used to shine the balls with saliva and I think if that is the case it will be good for us and it is good news for us,’’ said Ebadat.

‘’We have to bowl for long spells with red ball- almost 90 overs. It becomes hard to keep the shine of the ball and so if the polishing becomes legal, then it will be very helpful for us who play longer format games and so I welcome it,’’ he said adding that it will also give batsmen harder time in the middle.

‘’ Our balls lose the shinning soon and then it becomes easier for batsmen to play shots. They don’t face tough time. If it happens it[ using other substance to shine the ball] will a bit tougher for them to play,’’ he said.