Bowlers will be allowed to apply saliva on the ball in IPL 2025. The decision was taken by IPL after majority of the franchise captains voiced for the change at a meeting with the decision-makers of the tournament at the BCCI headquarters in Mumbai on Thursday.
ESPNcricinfo has learned that at the meeting several captains agreed that the saliva ban, which was adopted by ICC and followed by the member boards across all levels of cricket, was hurting the bowlers especially in not facilitating reverse swing, which has become rare in white-ball cricket including ODIs where two new balls are used.
The ban on using saliva to polish the ball was first put into place in May 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic, as a temporary measure. In September 2022, the ICC made the ban permanent.
Recently, India fast bowler Mohammed Shami had urged the ICC to rescind the ban on using saliva to shine the ball. “We are trying [to get reverse swing], but the usage of saliva on the ball is not allowed,” Shami had told reporters after India’s win over Australia in the Champions Trophy semi-final. “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.”
More to follow
