Key Points
BCCI allows saliva to shine ball after pandemic ban
Second ball introduced in night matches to counter dew
Mohammed Shami advocated for rule change
Umpires get discretion in ball management
The International Cricket Council (ICC) in May 2020 barred players from using saliva to polish the ball as a temporary measure during the Covid-19 pandemic. However, in September 2022, it was permanently banned by the ICC.
According to the Cricbuzz report, lifting a ban on saliva is one of the key decisions made by the BCCI and the IPL management for the upcoming season.
The decision to lift the ban on the use of saliva came after India pacer Mohammed Shami had urged the authorities to revoke the saliva ban on the ball in international cricket to assist bowlers in getting reverse swing from the ball.
"We are trying to reverse but you are not getting the use of saliva into the game. We are constantly appealing to allow the use of saliva, and it will be interesting with the reverse swing," Shami had said after a Champions Trophy game in Dubai recently.
Another major decision made by the BCCI for the IPL 2025 is the second ball will come into play after the 11th over of the second innings in an IPL match to counter the impact of dew that often affects night-time matches, the report added.
It also said that the BCCI has left the decision to the discretion of the umpires. "It's up to the umpires to determine whether the ball needs to be changed. They will decide based on the presence of dew," Cricbuzz quoted a source as saying.
As a result, this rule will primarily apply to night games and it is unlikely that a second ball will be used in afternoon matches, the report said.
