Saliva use banned as ICC announces changes to playing conditions

Cricket has been going through changes in its rules over the years. ICC has now updated the rulebook by tweaking playing conditions and the changes will come into effect on October 1, 2022. Men’s cricket committee headed by Sourav Ganguly recommended the changes to playing conditions in MCC’s updated third edition of the 2017 Code of the Laws of Cricket. Ganguly stated that it was an honour for him to chair his first meeting of the ICC Cricket Committee. 

"It was an honour chairing my first meeting of the ICC Cricket Committee. I was pleased with the productive contribution of the Committee members which resulted in key recommendations being made. I thank all members for their valuable input and suggestions,” Ganguly stated in an official release. 

First of all, the rule which compels new batters to take strike after coming to the crease after a wicket has been continued which was announced as early as March this year. When cricket was being played after the spread of Covid-19 it was played within bio-bubbles and there was a ban on using saliva. ICC has made the move permanent and the ban on the usage of saliva will be continued in the upcoming T20 World Cup as well. 

When Ravichandran Ashwin dismissed Jos Buttler through ‘Mankading’ there was a huge debate around the spirit of cricket. ICC has put an end to all of it removing the mode of dismissal from the ‘unfair play’ section to ‘run out’ section. In order to speed up the game, ICC has shortened the time allowed for the new batters for taking strikes from three minutes to two in ODIs and Tests. Also, any unfair movement by the fielding side when the bowler is in his follow-through will lead to a five-run penalty and the ball will be called dead. 

Currently, the fielding side has to bowl with four fielders outside the 30-yard circle if they don’t complete the innings by the scheduled time in T20Is. The same rule will now be adopted in ODIs to ensure the completion of the innings within the allotted time. Also, some part of a batter or the bat is needed to remain within the pitch and if he plays the delivery moving beyond the confines of the pitch, the umpire will signal it a dead ball. If any delivery forces the batter to leave the pitch it will be a no-ball.