Ishant Sharma: Competition should be fair for both batsmen and bowlers

Indian fast bowler Ishant Sharma is the latest of his ilk to speak up against the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) decision to put a ban on the use of saliva to shine the cricket ball. Ishant Sharma believes that the decision will future tilt the balance in the favour of batsmen as the ball might not reverse swing much later in the innings.

The ICC on Tuesday (June 9) had decided to ban the use of saliva to shine the ball in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“If we don’t shine the red ball, it doesn’t swing, then it becomes really easy for the batsman. I think the competition should be fair and not a batsman dominated game,” the 31-year-old said on Star Sports show ‘Cricket Connected’.

Ishant Sharma, who has played 97 Tests and is on the brink of claiming 300 Test scalps, argued that competition should be fair for both batsmen and bowlers. The 31-year-old paceman fears that the new ICC ruling might have an adverse effect on the effectiveness of the new ball in Test cricket.

“I feel that the most important thing will be avoiding the use of saliva on the ball and refraining from shining the ball,” Ishant Sharma, who has 115 wickets from 80 ODIs, said.

Saliva is primarily used on a new ball while sweat is used on the old ball when reverse swing comes into play.

Ishant Sharma feels bowlers will need to take special precautions

According to new interim ICC rules imposed in the aftermath of the Coronavirus pandemic, cricketers will not be permitted to use saliva to shine the ball and if a player does apply saliva to the ball, the umpires will manage the situation with some leniency during an initial period of adjustment for the players, but subsequent instances will result in the team receiving a warning.

A team can be issued up to two warnings per innings but repeated use of saliva on the ball will result in a 5-run penalty to the batting side. Whenever saliva is applied to the ball, the umpires will be instructed to clean the ball before play recommences.

Ishant Sharma, who turns out for the Delhi Capitals in the Indian Premier League, feels that bowlers will need to take special precautions to ensure that they don’t use saliva as it is an old practice.

“We will have to take special precautions for this as we are used to shining the ball, especially the red ball,” said Ishant Sharma, the Delhi-born pace bowler.