According to Bharat Sharma from PTI, the Board of Control for Cricket in India(BCCI) has considered Mohammad Shami’s request and has lifted the ban on Saliva usage for the upcoming Indian Premier League 2025. Earlier ICC had banned the usage of Saliva to cricket balls as a precautionary measure during the COVID-19 Pandemic times to avoid the spread of the virus.
According to PTI, this proposal has been extensively discussed within the BCCI and has been presented to the captains of all IPL teams during a Captains meeting in Mumbai on Thursday. After the lift on ban bowlers can now use the saliva to shine one side of the ball and reverse the practice on the other side when needed.
Saliva Ban Timeline
In the year 2022, ICC banned the use of saliva for shining the ball surface and made it a permanent change after the pandemic hit. But the COVID-19 guidelines are no longer there to adhere and no signs of the virus are to be noticed. Considering all those guidelines, present conditions, and the recent request from Mohammad Shami to restore the old saliva usage rule, BCCI has decided to restore the rule after discussing it with all franchise Captains and Managers.
“Using saliva on the ball was part of the essence of the game until COVID hit. Now that we don’t have that threat anymore, we feel there is no harm in lifting the ban on saliva in the IPL. We understand that it makes a bigger impact in red-ball cricket but even if it can help bowlers a bit in the white ball game, it should be allowed in the IPL, which is a trend-setting tournament. Let’s see what the captains decide tomorrow,” a BCCI official told PTI.
Ahead of the IPL and during the Champions Trophy Shami urged the ICC to lift the ban on using saliva to shine the ball. Explaining that not allowing the bowlers to use saliva hinders reverse swing and makes the sport less interesting. Shami soon received support from fellow cricketers Tim Southee and Vernon Philander.
With BCCI lifting the ban on saliva usage, ICC might look ahead to change its stance on the use of saliva in international matches as well.
