Former Australia spinner Shane Warne has offered a unique suggestion to tackle the issues regarding saliva usage on the ball in post-COVID-19 world.
The debate over the use of saliva or sweat on the ball to maintain its shine has been significant over the past few weeks. The outbreak of coronavirus means that it is highly unlikely that the ICC - cricket's premier governing body, would not impose restrictions on using saliva/sweat to induce swing.
Many cricketers - especially bowlers, have emphasised on the need to use saliva, with former Indian bowler Ashish Nehra even saying that a ban on using the same would be 'murdering' of bowlers.
Australian spin legend Shane Warne, thus, has offered a unique answer to cricket's big dilemma in the post-COVID-19 world -- make one side of it heavier to ensure that it doesn't need any shining.
Warne feels it can help fast bowlers generate swing even on flat wickets and permanently eradicate ball-tampering.
"Why can't the ball be weighted on one side so it always swings? It would be like a taped tennis ball or like with the lawn bowls," Warne told the Sky Sports Cricket Podcast.
There is speculation that the use of saliva to shine the ball will be stopped to cut down the risk of the highly contagious.
Responding to the extraordinary situation, Australian manufacturer Kookaburra has started developing a wax applicator -- which could be ready in a month -- as an alternative to saliva and sweat to help bowlers shine cricket balls in the post COVID-19 world.
"I'm not sure you'd want it to hoop around corners like Wasim (Akram) and Waqar (Younis) but it could swing and give the seamer something on flat wickets when it's hot and the pitch is at its flattest on day two, day three," Warne said.
"It would actually be a really good way to move forward, as you know no one needs to do anything to the ball.
"You wouldn't have to worry about anyone tampering with it with bottle tops, sandpaper, or whatever. It would be a good competition between bat and ball," he added.
The iconic spinner said while bats have become bigger and lighter, the ball has not evolved over the years and his suggestion can bring about a balance.
"Have a look at how the bats have evolved. If you pick up one of the bats you started with in the 80s, and then one you used at the end of your career, it's like four of your old ones stuck together - but the thing is lighter!
"So why has the ball not evolved? If anything, it has got worse," added Warne, who is currently in the middle of shooting a documentary on his life for Amazon.
(With inputs from PTI)
