Mumbai: You can once again utilize saliva to shine the ball, at least in the Indian Premier League. During the captains' meeting prior to IPL 2025 at the BCCI headquarters on Thursday, all ten captains reached a consensus to lift the ban on saliva use. This decision aims to address the bat-ball imbalance exacerbated by the Impact Player rule, which has significantly increased average scores.

Additionally, a new regulation has been established to permit the use of a second new ball midway through the second innings to mitigate the effects of dew.

The ban on saliva was implemented in May 2020 due to the Covid pandemic. In September 2022, it was deemed 'appropriate' and made permanent. At that time, the consensus was that the traditional practice of using saliva was unhygienic, and bowlers had adapted to its absence. However, there has been a reconsideration of this stance.

During the recent Champions Trophy, Indian fast bowler Mohammed Shami advocated for the reinstatement of saliva use for ball shining. He stated, “We are attempting reverse swing, but the use of saliva is not permitted. We continue to argue for its allowance so that we can reintroduce reverse swing into the game, making it more engaging.”

Fast bowlers typically apply saliva to one side of the leather ball, leaving the opposite side rough. As the ball ages and begins to reverse, it swings towards the shiny side, creating difficulties for the batter.

In the absence of saliva, bowlers have resorted to using sweat to shine the ball, but this method has proven insufficient. Variations in individual sweat production and differing weather conditions can affect its effectiveness. With the Impact Player rule enabling batters to be more aggressive due to deeper batting line-ups, there is a recognized need to empower bowlers.

While the ban on saliva use has been lifted solely for the IPL, discussions are anticipated soon within the ICC Cricket Committee to consider relaxing this rule for international cricket. Reverse swing plays a more significant role in ODIs and Test matches, particularly as the ball ages beyond 20-25 overs, especially with the introduction of two new balls.

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