Shining the ball with saliva banned under new laws

[Aritro]

Spit out, Mankads in: MCC updates cricket laws | cricket.com.au

An update to the laws of cricket now makes the use of saliva to shine the ball a form of ball...

www.cricket.com.au

Don't think this has been discussed anywhere. I think it's an important enough change to have its own thread anyway.

The new rules now ban the use of saliva – minted or otherwise – which the MCC says will remove "any grey areas of fielders eating sugary sweets to alter their saliva to apply to the ball. Using saliva will be treated the same way as any other unfair methods of changing the condition of the ball."

It also suggested research had found banning saliva for COVID-19 reasons has had "little or no impact on the amount of swing the bowlers were getting. Players were using sweat to polish the ball, and this was equally effective."

So something that has been fundamental to the way the game is played has now been outlawed. Frankly, I think it's weird af that the research finds that saliva has had little or no impact on swing based on my own experiences, but I trust the people doing the research know what they're doing and their results are more reliable than my own individual experiences. But also, surely this makes it a hell of a lot harder to get reverse swing now?

I would actually like to see them allow more methods of manipulating the condition of the ball, not less. But that's just me. I do hope it's not banned in local cricket from now on. I've got a dozen or so cricket balls that I use at training that have been lovingly shined on one side using the magic fluid (that's spit, not jizz FWIW). And I swear it makes a difference.

 

[Athlai]

Yeah they aren't saying spit doesn't work at all, they're saying sweat works equally well so use sweat.

 

[Son Of Coco]

Next step is to strike England's 2005 Ashes win from the record books.

 

[honestbharani]

Every captain who played with Ricky Ponting wishes this was done earlier ?

 

[RossTaylorsBox]

Set up one of those bowling ball polishing machines at each end.

 

[Migara]

Next level would be to eat a type of Murray mint where the polishing substance is excreted in sweat.

 

[RossTaylorsBox]

That's just a normal Murray mint.

 

[Daemon]

When polishing old balls for nets I always though sweat seemed to make the ball a bit softer as opposed to saliva which helped shine it better but I guess I was wrong.

 

[sledger]

When polishing old balls for nets I always though sweat seemed to make the ball a bit softer as opposed to saliva which helped shine it better but I guess I was wrong.

nobody wants to hear about your romantic endeavours

 

[Aritro]

When polishing old balls for nets I always though sweat seemed to make the ball a bit softer as opposed to saliva which helped shine it better but I guess I was wrong.

I wouldn't know. I sweat a little but but not that much, but I do have lots and lots of saliva so I use that instead. Which is another reason I don't think this is a good rule change.

The likes of Prince Andrew would have no recourse under these laws.

 

[Line and Length]

I was once introduced to, but never tried, a product called "Pad-o-Wax". It was a 5 cm plastic disk containing foam rubber impregnated with shoe polish. It was manufactured as a quick and easy shoe shine but, in the '60s was used by some unscrupulous players.
My personal modus operandi late in my career was sweat and, in an era when shirts were unbuttoned half way to the waist, it was easy to access a sweaty chest.

(Benaud was a a classic example of the unbuttoned shirt of the era)

 

[RossTaylorsBox]

Stupid ***y Benaud

 

[Lillian Thomson]

They should experiment with allowing no artificial wear and tear or polishing of the ball at all.

 

[Migara]

When polishing old balls for nets I always though sweat seemed to make the ball a bit softer as opposed to saliva which helped shine it better but I guess I was wrong.

This is hilarious

 

[RossTaylorsBox]

We're definitely going to hear about some team hocking loogies in each other's hair before the match.

 

[Daemon]

We're definitely going to hear about some team hocking loogies in each other's hair before the match.

nobody wants to hear about your romantic endeavours

^

 

[RossTaylorsBox]

Well yeah, not yours.

 

[honestbharani]

Well yeah, not yours.

This would make sense but you forget #Daemonupdates was a thing.