Former legendary Indian batsman Sachin Tendulkar has suggested use of new balls after every 45-50 overs in the Test fold as an alternative to saliva ban. Recently ICC Cricket Committee headed by Anil Kumble recommended the ban on saliva use during the Covid-19 era after consulting the medical experts.
Subsequently, the ICC Cricket Executive Committee approved the saliva ban on interim measures. The cricket pundits have opposed the move and they believe that the ICC should come up with an alternative which will aid the bowlers otherwise there will be no contest between bat and ball and it would become boring if the ball goes in a straight line.
The new ball is available after every 80 overs in an Test innings and Tendulkar who played the game for 24 years feels that the balls can be changed after 50 overs. This will allow the bowlers to bowl more with the new ball and it would help them trouble the batsman.
In fact, it is well known that two balls are used in ODI format from each end. Thus, 25 overs are bowled with each ball in 50 overs of an innings.
However, the red ball moves more as compared to the white ball. If the bowler won’t be able to use saliva on the ball, it is going to make their job harder to maintain the shine on the ball which eventually helps in producing the swing.
In fact, India’s veteran off-spinner Harbhajan Singh had also spoken on the similar lines as he had suggested changing the ball after 50 overs. Wasim Jaffer has also batted for two new balls in the Test fold to help the bowlers.
“In Test cricket, suddenly if the surfaces are not good, the standard of playing, I feel, drops down. And above all the game slows down because the batters know ‘if I don’t play a stupid shot here, no one can get me’ out and the bowler knows, ‘on this surface I have to be patient’.
“But why not then to get the game moving, have a new ball after every 45-50 or 55 overs because in ODI cricket we have to play only 50 overs, and you have two new balls there, so literally 25 overs, so that’s it,” Tendulkar suggested while talking to Brett Lee in a virtual chat on 100 MB app.
Tendulkar also suggested that wax can be used on the ball to maintain the shine. Meanwhile, ICC has not provided any alternative to saliva ban and Anil Kumble had clarified that they will not allow external substances to help tamper the ball.
As per the new laws, the umpires will give two warnings if a player uses saliva on the ball before awarding five penalty runs to the opposition. The ball will also be disinfected if a player uses saliva.
