After India’s semi-final victory over Australia in the recent Champions Trophy, Mohammed Shami sparked a conversation on the ICC’s saliva ban, urging the governing body to revoke the restriction on using saliva to shine the ball.
Shami, who impressed with a four-wicket haul in the match, emphasized that the ban has made it more difficult for bowlers to execute reverse swing deliveries. He suggested that lifting the ban could enhance the excitement of matches, making them more competitive.
The saliva ban, initially introduced as a temporary measure in May 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, became permanent in 2022. Since then, several former international bowlers have echoed Shami’s sentiment, including R. Ashwin, Vernon Philander, and Tim Southee.
Ashwin, in particular, shared his views on his YouTube channel, providing support to Shami’s stance. The seasoned off-spinner, who retired from international cricket following the recent Border-Gavaskar Trophy under controversial circumstances, pointed to research published by the ICC. “ICC released some papers after research showed that saliva did not aid reverse swing much, not putting saliva on the ball has not made a huge difference. I do not know how they did the research, but saliva should be allowed again if it is not a problem. Otherwise, cricketers have to get on with it,” Ashwin remarked.
Echoing similar concerns, Tim Southee expressed to ESPNCricinfo that the ban has proven to be a significant disadvantage for bowlers, contributing to higher team totals, especially in ODIs, where totals exceeding 300 have become more frequent.
Meanwhile, Vernon Philander, the former South African fast bowler, argued that the use of saliva and reverse swing could have played a crucial role in South Africa’s semi-final loss to New Zealand.
Shami’s call for the ban to be lifted has added to the debate around the issue, with many other cricketers backing his stance. During the Champions Trophy, Shami displayed strong form, taking eight wickets in four matches at an economy rate of 4.96. His performance was particularly remarkable given his preceding lengthy absence from international cricket.
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Name of Author: Cricexec Staff
