Former Indian cricketer Anil Kumble admitted that the saliva ban is something which players will "find hard to manage". "Based on medical advice, we believe that saliva could be the major contributor to carrying this disease and that's why we banned the use of saliva, although it's second nature in cricket. That's something that players will find hard to manage," ESPN Cricinfo quoted Kumble as saying during a webinar, organised by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) on Wednesday.

Last month, the International Cricket Council's (ICC) Cricket Committee, chaired by Kumble, had recommended changes to ICC regulations including prohibiting the use of saliva to shine the ball amid the coronavirus pandemic.