Sweating over using saliva

An unmissable sight in any game of cricket — domestic or international — is players using saliva to shine the ball. From time immemorial, cricketers have applied saliva and sweat on the sphere or rubbed the ball on their trousers to maintain smoothness on one side and rough on the other. These acts are integral to get the ball to reverse - a major weapon in a fast bowler’s armoury - once the conventional swing stops with the aging of the ball.

In fact, keeping the ball rough on one side and smooth on the other has become a specialised skill set now. Dubbed the ball handlers, they are the ones who are tasked with maintaining the health of the ball apart from the bowlers themselves. However, the coronavirus pandemic, which has put a lot of emphasis on personal hygiene, could potentially change the habit of using saliva to work on the ball.

“It’s going to be very difficult,” admits R Vinay Kumar, former Karnataka skipper and one of their most successful pacers. “Yes, we can use sweat and rub the ball on our pants, but saliva is best to shine the ball. And it’s an involuntary action. Moment a fast bowler gets the ball in his hands, or say the mid-off fielder, it’s natural for us to apply saliva on it. Changing that habit won’t be easy. But when cricket resumes, players will be sceptical about it. There will some nervousness. It’s like when the lockdown is lifted and you report to work, you will be nervous shaking hands with your colleagues or not wearing a mask. I really don’t know what I am going to do.”

Venkatesh Prasad, former India pacer and ex-national bowling coach, feels old habits die hard and players will continue to use saliva.

“Covid-19 has created deep fear in the minds of all," he says. "It’ll take some time to get over it but once you get into the rhythm, you tend to forget everything. To have an upper hand over the batsman, you have to swing the ball and to swing the ball, you have to maintain shine on one side. In this case you are talking about using saliva to make the ball shine. Once you are in the middle of the game, you tend to forget everything else. I guess players have to start using sweat more than saliva now. Obviously using substances is prohibited.”

Former India pacer Irfan Pathan reckoned players should be barred from using saliva. “I think it’s better if players are banned from using saliva. Only sweat should be permitted. Yes, it’s going to be difficult but administrators must find a way to make things equal for bowlers.” If Irfan's suggestion is implemented strictly, it will effectively leave the hapless bowlers, who are already struggling in a batsman-friendly game, with a weapon less in their armoury.

That's what Vinay fears. “Best option to start playing cricket only when coronavirus is completely eliminated or there’s a vaccination," he advises. "Forget players, you can get it from anyone, even the guy serving you food or the guy driving the team bus. So banning saliva is not an option because as such the game is heavily in favour of batsmen. Once there’s no coronavirus, all of us will feel confident about playing. Otherwise, fear will be there because as I said, you can contract it from anyone, not just your team-mates or rivals.”

There maybe apprehensions over getting into huddles or mobbing a player in celebration or slip fielders spitting into their palms (Ricky Ponting anyone?). In short, cricket will not be the same when it resumes.