As a side-effect of the coronavirus pandemic, cricket could be without one of its oldest ball-polishing techniques, which is applying saliva or sweat to shine the ball.
Which has left Australian cricket manufacturer Kookaburra to start working on a wax applicator that could be used as a substitute for bodily fluid.
The current public health crisis has forced each sporting code to rethink its hygiene practices, with cricket and its ball-shining technique no exception.
With professional cricket trying to get up and running for the first time since March, the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) released its framework for rebooting sport last week.
And if you are a pace bowler, look away now.
Under Level B and C rules outlined by the AIS, using saliva or sweat to shine the ball will be banned at cricket training in Australia.
However, it is not yet known whether the rules will be introduced in a return to competition.
Tatura captain Michael Archer said his initial reaction to the possibility of being unable to shine the ball with saliva or sweat was that it wouldn't impact the game that much.
“I don’t think (it would) have a huge impact,” Archer said.
“Outside the new ball, the ball doesn’t really swing that much and every side has two or three spinners that they bowl for a fair chunk of the overs.”
Archer, one of Cricket Shepparton's young stars, said he had never thought too much about applying his own saliva to a ball shared with 10 other teammates until recently.
“I never found it weird or gross, but when you think about it, it is pretty disgusting,” he said.
“I guess when you grow up doing it you don’t really think much of it.”
Shining one side of the cricket ball, while allowing the other side to naturally scruff, helps to make the ball swing through the air.
No artificial substances are allowed to alter the condition of the ball, which is why using sweat or saliva has been the go-to choice for cricketers.
However, the latest development from Kookaburra working on a wax applicator is a promising sign.
“We've been working on a product to replace the traditional methods of polishing a ball that could be controlled and managed by the match umpire; we have developed a unique wax formula for polishing a cricket ball,” Kookaburra managing director Brett Elliott said.
The new applicator is inspired by products in the footwear industry and could be ready to use within a month.
It would be pocket-sized and allow umpires or players to apply a layer of wax to the ball which could then be rubbed and polished and help bowlers’ in their efforts to dismiss the opposition batsmen.
“As long as it’s realistic and doesn’t make the ball swing around corners (then) I don’t see a problem with it,” Archer said.
8°C