The International Cricket Council ( ICC) has announced temporary amendments to its play rules, which include banning saliva use to shine the ball and allowing international series with local umpires.
Anil Kumble, the ICC Chief Executive Committee (CEC) ratified Cricket Committee recommendations aimed at reducing the risks posed by the COVID-19 virus and ensuring the health of players and match officials when cricket resumes.
The ban on saliva could completely shift the game in favour of batsmen according to many players and make the bowlers look hapless. Nevertheless, in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the ICC has induced the saliva ban into the sport. According to the new regulation, if a player applies saliva to the pitch, umpires will issue two warnings. But a repeated violation of the rule would result in a penalty of 5 runs.
Each time saliva is applied to the pitch; the umpires are told to clean the pitch before play starts again. The ICC has also introduced similar replacements in Tests, along with the saliva ban.
If a player shows COVID-19 symptoms during a test, the team during the match would be allowed to replace that player. The Match umpire will approve the nearest like-for-like replacement during the Test along with concussion replacements.
The like-for-like substitution rule in ODIs and T20Is is however not yet applicable. Another law caused by the ICC is the selection of local match officials. The ICC will appoint non-neutral umpires, instead of neutral arbitrators, from the Emirates ICC Elite Panel and the Emirates ICC International Panel Match Officials.
The announcement by the ICC came ahead of the much-anticipated test series between England and West Indies which is scheduled to begin next month. Given the current situation across the globe, the global body’s cricket committee headed by former India skipper Anil Kumble has proposed all the changes.
