The International Cricket Council (ICC) may look to ban the use of sweat and saliva to shine the cricket ball, as is traditionally and legally practised by players, in order to avoid potential COVID-19 spread whenever the on-field play is safe to resume.
One major form in which the deadly virus spreads is people coming in contact with the respiratory droplets. Hence, it is reported, the decision to bar players shining the ball via sweat and saliva can be taken by the sport's world governing body.
While declaring it a pandemic, the World Health Organisation (WHO) had stated that the Coronavirus "spreads primarily through droplets of saliva or discharge from the nose when an infected person coughs or sneezes", which makes cricketers at big risk because of the involvement of saliva in shining the ball in play.
Pat Cummins, the Australian fast bowler, gave his views on the matter and did inform that the ploy was discussed during the now-suspended Chappell-Hadlee Trophy against New Zealand in March.
"It’s a tough one. If it’s at that stage where we’re that worried about spread ... I’m not sure we’d be playing sport and bringing ourselves out of isolation," India Today quoted Cummins as saying.
"The one-dayer (series vs NZ), we made it clear we’re obviously really keen to play, but ... the way we shined the ball didn’t change. Obviously different with red ball. As a bowler I think it would be pretty tough going if we couldn’t shine the ball in a Test."
Former Aussie quick Jason Gillespie also opined on the issue and thinks that the players might have to shine the ball in front of the umpires from here on.
“I don’t think it’s a quirky question. It’s an actual genuine thing to be considered. I don’t think anything is off the table. It could be a point where at the end of each over, the umpires allow the players to shine the ball in front of them but you can only do it then," Gillespie told ABC Grandstand.
"I don’t know. Is it just sweat? Can you only use sweat?. I don’t have an answer to that but it certainly will be a conversation that will be had. If you think about it, it is pretty gross."
Cricket remains globally suspended because of the outbreak that started from the Chinese city of Wuhan in December last year and has since infected more than 22 lakh people, claiming over 1.5 lakh lives.
