Coronavirus, saliva and cricket - how pandemic could affect ball-shining methods

Jason Gillespie and Josh Hazlewood expect long-standing practice to undergo change

Teams will have to take a look at their ball-shining methods once cricket resumes. AFP

The coronavirus pandemic has affected many aspects of life and one of the most fundamental parts of cricket has now come under the scanner – shining of the ball.

With the world now more germ conscious than ever, former Australia fast bowler and current Sussex coach Jason Gillespie has questioned whether the age-old practice of maintaining a cricket ball, typically achieved by rubbing saliva and sweat on the ball, can be continued.

Currently back in Australia after the postponement of the English county season, Gillespie voiced what many had thought even before the pandemic – that the ritual of bowlers and fielders imparting saliva onto the ball was "pretty gross".

"I don't think it's a quirky question. It's an actual genuine thing to be considered," Gillespie said in a radio interview with ABC.

"I don't think anything is off the table. It could be a point where at the end of each over, the umpires allow the players to shine the ball in front of them but you can only do it then.

"I don't know. Is it just sweat? Can you only use sweat? I don't have an answer to that but it certainly will be a conversation that will be had. If you think about it, it is pretty gross."

With some local cricket associations discouraging the use of saliva to shine the ball towards the end of the Australian season which finished last month, the question of banning the practice has also raised concerns for Australia paceman Josh Hazlewood, who said shining a Test ball "does a lot" for its longevity.

"I think with a white ball it would be fine," he was quoted as saying by the Press Association.

"But in Test match cricket it (not shining the ball) is going to be very hard I think.

"Bowlers obviously rely on sideways movement in the air or off the wicket. If you didn't maintain the ball for 80 overs, it'd become quite easy to bat after probably about 15 overs, after that initial shine has gone off the ball."

Hazlewood predicted different scenarios would be contemplated, such as having one designated "shiner" in a team.

"Whether you use saliva or sweat, maybe one person could do it? I'm not sure," he said. "It's something we'd have to talk about when we get back out there and hopefully we can come up with a solution."