Unsure about role of sweat, everything depends on bowlers' skills, opines Bharat Arun

COVID-19’s after-effects have had its say on impacting the bowlers, with the ban on the usage saliva on the ball proving to be a body blow to them. Bowlers, ever since the game's inception, have been allowed to use saliva, something that has helped them in shining the ball, in turn helping them with swing.

However, after the forced break, the bowlers will have to just rely on sweat to help them with swing. India’s bowling coach, Bharat Arun was of the opinion that it all depends on bowlers’ skills which helps them with the swing. The former cricketer also revealed that it will be a new experience for everyone to look at conditions and adapt. 

“Movement of the ball is the bowlers’ skill. It happens because of the shine on the ball. Saliva is a catalyst which can help you shine the ball. But essentially it is the skill of the bowler. I really don’t know how it will play out. Sweat is not used as much as saliva. The condition of the field and the nature of the wicket also matter. It will be a new experience, one will have to look at the conditions and adapt,” Arun told Hindustan Times. 

A lot of cricketers, including Ravichandran Ashwin, claimed that it would be highly difficult to police the bowlers on not to use saliva. India’s bowling coach too was of the same opinion and stated that it would take time for the cricketers to get adjusted to the same, as they have been using saliva for the entirety of their career. So policing the players, the 57-year-old reckoned, would be a hard task.

“All their lives players are used to using saliva. Policing will be difficult. How do you monitor it? Inadvertently you might use saliva. And if somebody chooses to use it, what will you do? One will be monitoring all the eleven players on the field. If somebody chooses to do it discreetly, it becomes difficult,” he added.