IND vs NZ Final: R Ashwin Echoes Mohammed Shami's Thoughts On Saliva Ban, Urges ICC To Bring The Old Rule Back

Veteran Indian spinner R Ashwin, who retired midway through the Border Gavaskar Trophy series, has recently expressed his support over Mohammed Shami's comments on the ICC's saliva ban. While Ashwin said that the ICC claimed that saliva did not aid reverse swing, not putting saliva resulted in a huge impact on the play. He also urged the ICC to remove the ban if it does not pose an issue.

R Ashwin Backs Up Mohammed Shami's Plea To Revoke ICC's Saliva Ban

After Team India's win over Australia in the Champions Trophy semifinal, Mohammed Shami wants the ICC to reconsider the ban they have made over the use of saliva on the ball. The Indian pacer has claimed that the lack of saliva makes it difficult to bowl reverse-swing deliveries, as it generally helps the bowlers to shine the ball. Shami added that the usage of saliva could add a lot of interest in the matches. R Ashwin, the recently retired Indian International cricketer, has also voiced his backing over Shami's plea to the International Cricket Council.

“ICC released some papers after research showed that saliva did not aid reverse swing much, not putting saliva on the ball has not made a huge difference. I do not know how they did the research, but saliva should be allowed again if it is not a problem. Otherwise, cricketers have to get on with it,” R Ashwin said in one of his videos on his YouTube channel.

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Mohammed Shami's Plea Receives Backing From Other Veteran Bowlers 

Team India star Mohammed Shami sparked a debate over the usage of saliva on the ball, which he believes would help to perform reverse swing deliveries. Due to the rise of COVID-19, strict rules were enforced and its use on the ball was banned by the ICC in 2020. But Shami has recently raised the topic, and his comments received support from bowlers like Tim Southee and Veron Philander. All of them believe the ban has been a huge disadvantage for the bowlers.

Team India will be put to test when they face off against the Mitchell Santner-led New Zealand on Sunday, 09th Match, 2025, at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium in the UAE.   

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