Sri Lanka cricketers have recently started a 12-day ‘Residential Training Camp’ at the Colombo Cricket Club in Colombo. As per a Sri Lanka Cricket release, 13 players have been selected which primarily consists of bowlers.
The bowlers, reportedly, told their head coach about the ball shining issue and said sweat isn’t as effective as saliva.
Notably, the ICC Cricket Committee, led by Anil Kumble, prohibited the use of Saliva during the training and matches to minimize the risk of coronavirus disease.
Sweat made the ball a little bit heavier
According to a report published by the PTI, Sri Lanka players listed for training reached to their head coach and discussed the issues they faced with the ball during the session.
“It was interesting chatting to the bowlers, who said sweat made the ball a little bit heavier than saliva did. Saliva was their preferred mechanism of shining the ball. But it is what it is now, you’ve just got to get on with it,” Arthur as said during a chat with ESPNcricinfo.
Allowing artificial substances could confuse things
Talking further, SL head coach and one of the members of the ICC Cricket Committee that made the decision of prohibition of saliva, said allowing artificial substances to polish the ball could have confused things.
“If we allowed them to put an artificial substance on, for example, and COVID-19 goes away in 18 months’ time or whenever, do we say: ‘you can’t use an artificial substance on the ball’ again?,”
PTI quoted Mickey Arthur.
He also added that to make the contest between bat and ball balanced, other ways could be tried apart from allowing artificial substances.
“We would have confused everything. There are other ways of evening up the contest for the bowlers as well – by leaving extra grass on the pitch etc.”
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