Australia's top-order batsman Marnus Labuschagne has said that players would be required to adapt themselves to any kind of change once the cricketing starts. Currently, all sporting action across the world has come to a halt due to the coronavirus pandemic and the ICC is thinking about the fate of using saliva/sweat on the cricket ball. As an aftermath of COVID-19, players may very well be asked to refrain from using saliva or sweat on the cricket ball. "The objective for everyone is to get back on the field, so whatever sacrifices or slight tweaks in the game that need to be made ... for us as players, it's about being adaptable and being able to abide by those new laws, if that is the case," Sydney Morning Herald quoted Labuschagne as saying.
"In terms of shining it, it will be slightly strange. When you're on the field it's so natural if you're one of the ball shiners to get the ball and put a little bit of saliva on your finger and try to buff out some of the rough areas of the ball. If that doesn't happen, then that's the way it is. That's just how we're going to have to deal with this situation," he added.
Shining the ball is a major thing for bowlers in trying to extract some swing from the match. As the game starts swaying in favour of batsmen by each passing day, bowlers have to try everything they can in trying to trouble the batsmen.
Earlier this year, even India pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar was skeptical of using saliva on the ball ahead of the ODI series against South Africa.
"We are taking every precaution we can. We have a team of doctors with us, who are advising us on dos and don'ts. We have a meeting with our doctors. If they advise us to not use saliva on the ball, then we will follow it. So, it all depends upon the instructions given by the doctor," Bhuveshwar Kumar had said during a press conference earlier this year.
Right now, no sport is being played as all top tournaments like IPL, Premier League, LA Liga have been suspended and there is no certain answer as to when all these competitions will resume.
Wimbledon 2020 has been cancelled for the first time since World War II and Tokyo Olympics have been postponed for the first time.
The World Health Organisation had termed coronavirus as a ''pandemic'' on March 11.