Dukes can swing even without saliva because of quality, says owner
by IANSLONDON: Applying saliva to shine one side isn't the only way to make the cricket ball swing, according to the owner of ball-manufacturing company Dukes. The International Cricket Council (ICC) has banned the use of saliva to shine the ball in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.
"I don't see swing being a big problem in England," Dilip Jajodia, owner of Dukes ball, was quoted as saying by the Guardian.
"You have to have a balance between bat and ball otherwise the game is boring, we know that. But it's not just the shiny surface or the rough side that causes swing, it's the integrity of the ball.
"You don't have to worry because with a ball constructed like ours you've got a good shape, a strong seam that acts as a rudder through the air and, because it is hand-stitched, it stays harder for longer," he added.
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The ICC committee had earlier noted that the risk of spread of the virus through sweat is 'highly unlikely' and 'saw no need to prohibit' the practice.
"They are not banning the use of sweat, so you run your hand over your forehead and, with the nature of the leather, a rigorous polish should get the grease moving enough to give a good shine," Jajodia said.
Earlier, Australia speedster Mitchell Starc had stated banning the usage of saliva to shine the ball might tip the scale more in batsmen's favour.
"That contest between bat and ball, we don't want to lose that or get further away from that even contest. So there needs to be something in place to keep that ball swinging," Starc told reporters in a video interview on Tuesday.
"They mentioned the other day that it's only going to be there for a period of time and then once the world gets back to a relatively normal situation then saliva can come back into shining the ball."