The ICC Cricket Committee has recommended ban on applying saliva to the ball.
ICC Cricket Committee has recommended a ban on the traditional practice of using saliva to maintain the shine of the ball to avoid potential on-field viral spread.
The recommendation is likely to be ratified at the ICC board meeting in June.
Read Also: Saliva-ban "hardest thing" for bowlers, Gautam Gambhir bats for alternative post COVID-19
"You can use two new balls from both ends. One ball you can use for reverse swing, and the other ball you can use for swing," the Turbanator told Sports Tak, opining how he thinks the balance of competitiveness between the two main disciplines can be maintained.
In ODIs, since 2013, two new white Kookaburra balls have been used from each end, which has resulted in more favourable batting conditions. Would it then be prudent to replicate that at the Test level?
Harbhajan, though, has a cope out. "I would say not to use those two balls for 90 overs, change them after 50 overs," he said. "As both balls will get old by 50 overs. Then there will be no shine and it won't come with sweat."
"The skipper should have an option to choose whether to use the new ball from one end, or both ends. But one ball should not be used more than 50 overs."
The 39-year-old stressed how important applying saliva to the ball is for any bowler.
"When the ball will get old, it will not shine with sweat, it will only make it heavier. Now saliva is thick and when we use it on the ball repeatedly, it helps the skin of the ball to shine. Sweat can wet the ball and make it heavy but it cannot shine the ball especially when it is old," he said.
"This is not a permanent solution I think. If you don't use saliva the bowler will go further away from the game. Especially in sub-continent conditions, you need to make the ball and you need saliva for that."
"We need to see what are the other options besides saliva which you can use on the ball to keep the contest between bat and ball even."
For spinners, specifically, Harbhajan says they'll find a number of issues if the change is implemented without giving them an alternative.
"If there is no shine on the ball, and if it is only heavy with sweat, the ball won't hang in the air or it won't dip and it won't spin also a lot. There will be problems in gripping also."
"Bowlers will be in more problem. Sweat can only make the ball shine when it is new. But not once it is old," he concluded.
(Inputs from Sports Tak)