It is like asking the batsmen not to score runs on the off-side: Sachin Tendulkar on saliva ban

Legendary Indian batsman Sachin Tendulkar has opined that the saliva ban which has been imposed under the COVID-19 protocols has 'handicapped' the bowlers.

The 47-year-old veteran, who represented the Indian cricket team from 1989 to 2013, compared the bowlers' current situation to the batsmen being allowed to score runs only on one side of the ground.

With the saliva ban, bowlers are handicapped: Tendulkar (Interview)Read @ANI story | https://t.co/IDxl4uDXNN pic.twitter.com/prduKSOdge

— ANI Digital (@ani_digital) December 14, 2020

In an interview with ANI on Monday (December 14), Sachin Tendulkar spoke about saliva's significance in cricket. He said:

"There should have been an alternative, but the alternative is still not there so it is literally like asking a batsman you cannot score runs on the offside, you can only score on the onside. It is literally like that. There is no substitute provided for saliva and that's why bowlers are handicapped."

The International Cricket Council (ICC) barred cricketers from applying saliva on the ball to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Although the matches take place inside a bio-secure bubble, the international cricket governing body does not wish to take any risks.

Sachin Tendulkar believes that the game is now heavily in favor of the batsmen because sweat is not as effective as saliva.

The former Mumbai Indians captain continued:

"Bowlers are handicapped if you do not have a substitute for saliva. Today we do not have any substitute for saliva. Cricket was always like it, sweat and saliva were always there. I would say saliva is more important than sweat, so it is almost as good as 60 percent. Bowlers would rely more on saliva as compared to sweat."

Happy Birthday Yuvi! Wishing you a year full of happiness, health and success. Hope to catch up soon. pic.twitter.com/E4ddLjaszh

— Sachin Tendulkar (@sachin_rt) December 12, 2020

Sachin Tendulkar is not the first personality to say the saliva ban favors the batsmen

The ICC approved the ban on polishing the ball with saliva in June this year. After the decision was announced, former Indian cricket team coach Greg Chappell had described the advantage for the batsmen as a 'bloody storm in a teacup'.

The Indian cricket team's fast bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar had also stated that the saliva ban made his job more challenging. Meanwhile, Jasprit Bumrah pointed out that this ban would hurt their chances of reverse-swinging the ball in Test cricket.