Saliva applied on a cricket ball not only aids swing for pacers but also supports spinners by enabling drift and hence, a ban on its usage as a ball-applicator will affect all kinds of bowlers, not just the pacers, said Indian leg-spinner, Yuzvendra Chahal.
The ICC has banned applying saliva on the cricket ball, a traditional method for ball-shining, as part of interim health safety measures adopted by the governing body for cricket matches played amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
There are fears, however, that the ban while ensuring no on-field Coronavirus spread, will tilt the game further in favour of batsmen and marginalise the bowlers.
“When you use a natural element like saliva, it helps pacers with swing and spinners with the drift," Chahal said on ESPNcricinfo. 'Drift' is the cricketing term for balls going sideways in the air from where it had been originally delivered by the spinner.
“If as a spinner, I cannot get drift in the middle overs, the batsmen will have it easy. This is something that will affect every bowler in the world. I will have to figure out a solution once I start bowling in the nets."
"Spinners use saliva too to maintain the shine of the ball because we are aware that pacers will bowl after us or are bowling from the other end," added Chahal, 29, who has taken part in 52 ODIs and 42 T20Is for India, apart from being one of the mainstays of the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) line-up in the IPL.
"And I would like to maintain the condition of the ball in a way that it helps pacers whenever they come. Pacers also think the same way. When they see spinners coming, they refrain from shining the ball too much. This is how we plan things."
Chahal, meanwhile, also spoke on the captaincy styles of Virat Kohli and his deputy Rohit Sharma and said it hasn't really been an issue adjusting from one to the other because both are naturally attacking leaders and look for wickets through the middle-overs.
"Virat Kohli or Rohit Sharma, whoever the captain is, they want us to pick up wickets. Even if I concede 70 runs in my 10 overs but pick up three wickets in the middle overs, it will benefit the team," said Chahal.
“The pace of the game also quickens when spinners are operating from both ends. If there is turn on offer, it becomes difficult to play spinners in the middle overs. We have always believed in going for wickets in the middle overs."
Chahal revealed an advice from veteran off-spinner Harbhajan Singh during his first IPL stint with Mumbai Indians (MI) that will stay with him forever.
"Harbhajan Singh once told me – back your skills as a bowler. My strengths are varying my pace and beating the batsman in flight."
"I have seen a lot of spinners change their actions while bowling at the Chinnaswamy. I can sense their fear, I then tell this to the batsmen in my team so that they can attack him," he concluded.
(Inputs from PTI)
