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'A Rule Brought Around COVID': Tim Southee Joins Shami In Urging ICC To Reconsider Saliva Ban

Kaushik Kashyap

Southee Backed Shami On The Call For Lifting Saliva Ban. [Source - ians_india/realdpthakur17/x.com]Southee Backed Shami On The Call For Lifting Saliva Ban. [Source - ians_india/realdpthakur17/x.com]

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Former New Zealand cricketer Tim Southee has appealed to the International Cricket Council (ICC) to lift the ban on the use of saliva on the ball in international cricket. Notably, Indian fast bowler Mohammed Shami also voiced his concern on this, urging ICC to bring back the use of saliva on the ball which helps bowlers to reverse swing the ball.

ICC introduced the saliva ban back in 2020 as a precautionary measure during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, they went on to make the ban permanent from October 1, 2022 and applying sweat remained legal for ball shining.

After almost three years, Shami raised his voice on this issue after India beat Australia in the semi-final of the Champions Trophy, where the ace pacer played a crucial role with the ball for the Men In Blue by taking three wickets.

According to Shami, reverse swing has traditionally been one of the crucial weapons for the fast bowlers, especially towards the latter stages of an innings, but as the players are not allowed to apply saliva on the ball anymore, achieving reverse swing has become increasingly difficult.

Southee Backed Shami On The Call For Lifting Saliva Ban

Cricket has increasingly become a batters game and with ICC’s decision to permanently ban the saliva for shining the ball has only made this worse for the bowlers. Following Shami’s concern, Southee also raised his voice on reconsideration of the use of saliva and backed Shami in his stance.

While speaking in ESPNcricinfo’s Match Day, Southee shed light on how the ban on use of saliva has made it difficult for bowlers, particularly on flat batting pitches.

"That was a rule brought around Covid with the virus going around the world. We see the game going the way it's going and seeing sides score 362 and more often than not over 300 in this format,” Southee said.

The veteran pacer, who retired from international cricket in December, 2024, himself was very effective in getting the older ball to reverse, especially on dry and abrasive surfaces. If ICC can afford to lift the ban on the use of saliva here, there will be something for the bowlers in their favor.

“I think there needs to be something in the bowlers' favor, and whether that's a little bit of saliva, then yeah. I don't see why they couldn't afford to get that back in,” Southee added.

With an increasing number of fast bowlers raising their voices in bringing back the use of saliva on the ball, the ICC should seriously reconsider and lift the ban to maintain the balance between the bat and ball.