29 May,2020 07:02 AM IST | New Delhi | PTI
India pacer Mohammed Shami with bowling coach Bharat Arun at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad in 2018. Pic/ AFP
The use of saliva to shine the ball is a "difficult habit" to get over but India's bowling coach Bharat Arun says he won't mind an "external substance" at its expense if the same is used across teams. In the wake of COVID-19 pandemic, the Anil Kumble-led ICC Cricket Committee has decided to ban the use of saliva as a part of health safety protocol.
A lot of premier players and coaches now feel that the use of external substances should be allowed to shine the ball in order to maintain a balance between the bat and ball. "As far as use of external substance is concerned, as long as it is same and uniform for all the teams, why not try it," Arun said.
"Use of saliva will be a very difficult habit to get over but we will make a conscious effort during our training and practice sessions to get rid of this habit," he added.
Previously, even the world's premier fast bowler and IPL's costliest foreign recruit, Pat Cummins had spoken in favour of the use of an external substance in place of saliva. "If we remove saliva, we have to have another option," the pacer was quoted as saying by cricket.com.au.
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While the ICC has not banned sweat which does not spread the novel Coronavirus, Cummins wants some more initiative from the game's governing body. "Sweat is not bad, but I think we need something more than that, ideally. Whatever that is, wax or I don't know."
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