In the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL), bowlers will once again be permitted to use saliva to shine the cricket ball.
This reverses a rule that was introduced five years ago during the Covid-19 pandemic to prevent the potential spread of the virus.
As per BBC, the ban was initially introduced five years ago for health reasons as medical experts advised against using saliva due to the risk of spreading the virus.
However players were still allowed to use sweat to maintain the ball.
The decision to lift the ban in the IPL came after most franchise captain supported the move in a recent meeting.
Despite this change in the IPL, the International Cricket Council (ICC) had made the saliva ban permanent in international cricket.
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In cricket bowlers traditionally use saliva to maintain the shine on one side of the ball which helps it swing in the air, making it more challenging for batters.
This technique has been an essential part of cricket for over a century.
Saliva plays key role in reverse swing, a bowling skill where the ball moves unexpectedly specially in dry conditions or when the ball gets older.
While saliva is particularly useful in Test cricket (which uses red balls), it is less effective in limited-overs formats like ODIs and T20s, which use white balls.
As per the reports, the rule allowing bowlers to use saliva on the ball will be implemented starting from Saturday, when IPL 2025 begins. This is the 18th edition of the tournament.
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