Former India captain and veteran pacer Jhulan Goswami admitted that fast bowlers won’t have it easy as the International Cricket Council banned the use of saliva in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.
The revised instructions from the ICC have received mixed feedback from the players, especially from the bowlers. Recently, India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin said it will take time for him to do away with with the habit of applying saliva on the ball. Australia pacer Mitchell Starc called for ball-tampering rules to be relaxed while Irfan Pathan wants more bowling-friendly pitches in Test cricket.
For the sake of the bowlers, Goswami thinks that there should be an alternative to saliva for shining the ball. “As a fast bowler, we are used to using the saliva to shine the ball, so it is not easy to change the habits overnight,” the pacer told Sportstar.
“But we need to deal with it and come up with a new innovation. For that, regular practice will be the key.”
The dates have been announced for the Indian men and women’s tour of Australia towards the end of the year. Having retired from T20Is, Goswami is training her guns for the 2021 World Cup, which may also be her last international commitment for India.
Goswami warned of bowling possibly picking up injuries after coming back from a lengthy period without training or playing in a competitive environment.
She added: “The game will change for sure – there will be no celebrations, team-mates need to maintain social distances – But the only positive will be the fact that we will at least play the game, again. That’s of prime importance.
“When you are coming back to a competitive environment, there is a possibility of the niggles resurfacing. That will, again, be a challenge. So, you have to be very careful and take things step by step.”