The ICC Cricket Committee, chaired by Anil Kumble recommended changes to ICC regulations to mitigate the risks posed by the COVID-19 virus and protect the safety of players and match officials in a conference call.
The Committee recommended that the use of saliva to polish the ball be prohibited and advised to use sweat to shine the ball.
“The ICC Cricket Committee heard from the Chair of the ICC Medical Advisory Committee Dr Peter Harcourt regarding the elevated risk of the transmission of the virus through saliva and unanimously agreed to recommend that the use of saliva to polish the ball be prohibited,” ICC said in the media release.
“The Committee also noted the medical advice that it is highly unlikely that the virus can be transmitted through sweat and saw no need to prohibit the use of sweat to polish the ball whilst recommending that enhanced hygiene measures are implemented on and around the playing field,” media release read.
The recommendations of the Cricket Committee will now be presented to the ICC Chief Executives’ Committee in early June for approval.
After the conference call, ICC Cricket Committee Chairman Anil Kumble said, “We are living through extraordinary times and the recommendations the Committee have made today are interim measures to enable us to safely resume cricket in a way that preserves the essence of our game whilst protecting everyone involved.”