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As part of its guidelines to resume cricket matches and as a health measure to curb the spread of COVID-19, the International Cricket Council (ICC) has banned the use of saliva to shine cricket balls.
Cricket players are now encouraged to use their sweat to polish balls as there has been no evidence that the virus could be transmitted this way. All cricket teams will also undergo a two week compulsory isolation before their matches resume.
Concerns have been raised about whether undoing this habit will be possible, as many players have picked it up since the start of their careers. The Pakistan head coach, Misbah-ul-Haq, suggested that players be required to wear masks during matches to stop them when their instinct takes over.
Other guidelines include regular hand sanitation after contact with the ball, no bathroom breaks during training and no contact of personal items.
