IPL Lifts Saliva Ban After Getting Skipper's Thumbs Up: Report
The decision was taken at the skippers' meeting in Mumbai. ICC had banned the age-old practice of applying saliva to shine the ball as a precautionary measure during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Indian Premier League has lifted the ban on using saliva that was imposed five years ago due to the COVID-19 pandemic that had spread across the world, according to a report in PTI.
The proposal was discussed at length within BCCI and was floated to skippers of all IPL sides in a meeting in Mumbai on Thursday.
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ICC had banned the age-old practice of applying saliva to shine the ball as a precautionary step during the COVID-19 pandemic. Three years ago, ICC made the ban permanent.
IPL included the ICC ban in its playing conditions in the aftermath of COVID-19 as well but its rules are outside the purview of cricket’s governing body.
“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," a BCCI source told PTI on Wednesday.
“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," the source added.
With the ban revoked in IPL, ICC might be forced to review its stance on the subject as well.
On the sidelines of the Champions Trophy, star India pacer Mohammed Shami had spoken about the requirement to use saliva on the ball in what has become a batters’ game.
The likes of former South Africa pacer Vernon Philander and Tim Southee had backed Shami’s call.
“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," Shami said.
According to the existing rules, if it is the first instance of applying saliva on the ball, the fielding side’s skipper is summoned and issued a first warning.
“If it is the second instance during an innings, summon the captain of the fielding side and issue a second and final warning to the captain of the fielding side that any further such offence by any member of the team during the innings shall result in that member of the team being fined by BCCI," the rule says.
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