The restarting of the Bundesliga has raised hopes for the sporting fraternity. With the world accepting the fact that we will have to continue living with coronavirus for long, counties are preparing for a reboot with new norms. Will cricket be the same again? Well, without fans flocking around, no sport will remain the same; however, cricket is a sport where numerous factors and science come into play. One of the beauties of this sport is the bowler’s skill to swing the ball for which saliva and sweat play a role. With the use of such secretions out of the question, how will bowlers swing the ball and if that aspect is taken away from the sport, cricket will lose its meaning.
Many greats of the game have raised concerns regarding this and opined. In an interaction with cricket.com, batting legend Sachin Tendulkar explored the plausible solutions.
“The ICC needs to have a closer look at how the balls are being manufactured. They may have to speak to the top manufacturers like SG, Kookaburra and Dukes, to understand what can be done differently, given the circumstances and concerns,” said Tendulkar. “If one cannot use saliva from a hygiene standpoint, then sweat should not be allowed as well. Maybe there can be a special type of lacquer coating which will keep the shine on the ball. But at the same time, the spinners should not be taken out of the equation.”
Traditionally, the spin bowlers have relied on worn-out balls, and if the shine of the ball remains for a longer duration, it’s going to hamper the art of spin bowling.
Ball-tampering is a serious offence in the sport. Two years back, Australian batting stars Steven Smith and David Warner received heavy punishments for indulging in the offence. Illegal methods to work on the ball to gain swing has always been a part of the sport but a strict ‘no’ in legal terms. Tendulkar implied that COVID-19 could see a change in the rule.
“Probably the ICC then needs to look at legally allowing application of a wax coat or other similar substances on a ball, to enable swing movement as bowlers desire. We need to think innovatively to ensure we come up with a solution that takes into account safety and hygiene, but at the same time does not take away from the bowlers or causes imbalances in the game,” Tendulkar further added.
Last month, Tendulkar had also expressed concerns on the instinctive celebrations. Earlier this month, Australian cricket great Ian Chappell had written a column expressing his support to legalise ball-tampering to retain the balance between the disciplines of batting and bowling.
