Test greats back Mohammed Shami's call to revoke ban on usage of saliva on ball

Former international cricketers Vernon Philander and Tim Southee have voiced their support for Mohammed Shami's push to lift the ban on saliva use on the ball, aiming to reintroduce reverse swing into the game. The International Cricket Council (ICC) temporarily banned saliva use in May 2020 as a safety measure during the Covid-19 pandemic. This ban was later made permanent in September 2022.

Indian fast bowler Shami has been outspoken in his call to reverse this ban, arguing that it is essential for reviving the art of reverse swing in cricket. His position has found backing from Philander and Southee, who contend that allowing saliva on the ball is vital for bowlers to effectively manipulate it and create movement in the air.

"We are trying [to get reverse swing], but the usage of saliva on the ball is not allowed," Shami told media after India's Champions Trophy semi-final win over Australia.

"We keep appealing that we should be allowed to use saliva so that we can bring reverse swing back into the game and it becomes interesting," he added.

Southee and Philander have now expressed their support for Shami's views.  "That was a rule brought around Covid with the virus going around the world, but I think as a bowler, you want to have a slight advantage," Southee said as quoted by ESPNCricinfo.

"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. I think there needs to be something in the bowlers' favour, 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."

Philander asserted that if the rule had not been implemented, South Africa could have performed more effectively with the ball during the second semifinal against New Zealand in the tournament.

"If we look at the state of that ball, I mean towards the back end, it was really scuffed up, and I think had you used the saliva [to polish one side of the ball], the element of the reverse swing might have come into play," Philander said. "So it certainly does play a part. You can get it to shine up, and you use the elements to swing it a little longer.

"I'd like to see that element being brought back into the game because I think it's needed as well. I mean, especially in ODI cricket where we see batters really dominating, especially when you play on surfaces like we've just seen in Pakistan as well where it's really batter friendly," he added.

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