{"id":253652,"date":"2025-03-07T04:48:10","date_gmt":"2025-03-07T04:48:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/2025\/03\/07\/ex-pacers-back-mohammed-shamis-call-to-lift-saliva-ban-cricket-news-the-times-of-india\/"},"modified":"2025-03-07T04:48:10","modified_gmt":"2025-03-07T04:48:10","slug":"ex-pacers-back-mohammed-shamis-call-to-lift-saliva-ban-cricket-news-the-times-of-india","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/2025\/03\/07\/ex-pacers-back-mohammed-shamis-call-to-lift-saliva-ban-cricket-news-the-times-of-india\/","title":{"rendered":"Ex-pacers back Mohammed Shami’s call to lift saliva ban | Cricket News – The Times of India"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Mohammed Shami (AP Photo)<\/span><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

DUBAI: Indian pacer Mohammed Shami<\/a>\u2019s call to remove the ban on saliva so that fast bowlers can generate reverse swing again, has found many takers. Shami\u2019s appeal finds resonance among experts as there is a feeling to restore some sort of a level-playing field.
Former India fast bowler and ex-national selector Salil Ankola<\/a> told TOI: \u201cThey should do away with this ban now. I completely second Shami on that. You have got everything going for the batters, at least something should be there for the bowlers too.\u201d Ankola, who played 20 ODIs for India, mentioned how this ban remains on most bowlers\u2019 minds. <\/p>\n

\u201cI was talking about it while commentating in the Ranji Trophy finals recently. The use of saliva to shine the ball has been going on for a century! It was not even banned in 1920, when a pandemic struck! Covid is over now. It\u2019s time to do away with it,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n

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While they had first imposed the ban on using saliva to polish the ball in May 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic, in September 2022, the ICC made the ban permanent.
Shami\u2019s appeal to the game\u2019s authorities has been also backed by two former international bowlers in South Africa\u2019s Vernon Philander and New Zealand\u2019s Tim Southee<\/a>, who feel that allowing bowlers to use saliva will give a rebirth to reverse swing, currently missing from the game, especially on flat surfaces, on which most of One-day cricket is played on these days.
\u201cI think as a bowler, you want to have a slight advantage. We see the game going the way it\u2019s going and seeing sides score 362 (New Zealand\u2019s semifinal total against South Africa) and often, over 300 in this format. I think there needs to be something in the bowlers\u2019 favour, and whether that\u2019s a little bit of saliva. I don\u2019t see why they couldn\u2019t afford to get that back in,\u201d Southee said on ESPNcricinfo\u2019s Match Day.
Philander said, \u201cIf we look at the state of that ball, towards the back end, it was really scuffed up. And I think had you used the saliva (to polish one side of the ball), the element of the reverse swing might have come into play.\u201d <\/p>\n

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\u2018Need to be cautious while lifting ban\u2019
However, there was a voice of caution too.
\u201cWhile I think that Shami has made a very valid call, we need to have a harder look at this issue before arriving at a decision,\u201d former India pacer Venkatesh Prasad<\/a> said.
\u201cThe ban on applying saliva on the ball was also about maintaining cleanliness. Anything can happen today, we don\u2019t know how many and when a new virus enters the air. So, I think you need to be very careful in making a decision about lifting the ban.\u201d<\/div>\n