Covid substitutes aimed at encouraging matches to resume, reveals Anil Kumble
ICC Cricket Committee chairman Anil Kumble has stated that the ICC introduced COVID substitutes in order to bring normalcy back during extra-ordinary times. Kumble has further added that the idea of not allowing external substances for ball-shining is to avoid a wrong precedent for the future.
The ICC recently ratified all the changes proposed by the Cricket Committee and Medical Committee, while allowing COVID-19 substitutes as requested by ECB director of Operations Steve Elworthy. The idea was to isolate the infected player as soon as possible and replace him with another player in order to carry forward the game. Kumble stated that it is an encouraging idea and one that will reap strong dividends.
“In the current scenario, the players are to be tested before the matches and this Covid substitute is only applicable for Test matches. In an ODI, if a player plays with infection and is found to be showing symptoms, he is out for the match. Same applies in Tests too. A player with symptoms will be ruled out for the duration of the match,” Kumble told Sportstar.
“In a Test, the player may test negative before the match, pick up symptoms in a couple of days; could be common flu, fever, and in the process expose the others to infection. This Covid substitution would allow the team to carry on with the match. We have to accept the challenges that have come with the pandemic. We don’t want the game to suffer and the idea of Covid substitute is aimed at encouraging the matches to resume in these extraordinary times,” Kumble added.
While the medical committee banned the use of saliva for the ball-shining purpose, the cricket committee allowed sweat to shine the ball. There had been discussion around if they should allow artificial substances for the same, but Kumble opined that it would create a bad precedent for the future.
“Maybe in future we might be told that saliva is not risky but the idea of the applicator to maintain the shine of the ball is not good. We would be better off playing without using saliva. Cricket is a game of uncertainties and we have to make adjustments. Uncertainties in the past have come from the weather, the pitch, the bounce, the field placements. We can look at making changes to the pitches. They can be bowler-friendly. We have to look at things practically as cricket resumes.”
“We shall soon know how difficult these measures are to maintain. There could be challenges from the fielding positions, say, wicketkeeper in close positions, close-in fielders. The authorities will be taking the call with umpires and match referees responsible for what happens on the field. Like disinfecting the ball. We don’t want to dictate.”