The global pandemic has forced the debate of whether to use saliva or sweat to shine the ball because these natural substances have now turned out to be the carrier of the coronavirus. Therefore, debates are going on legalizing the use of artificial substances on the ball though ICC has not taken any particular call on the subject. However, many former and present cricketers have kept their views, and the latest one to join them is Chetan Sharma.
The former Indian pacer is against the use of outer substances on the ball, saying that it is illegal. According to him, it is not easy to control the spread of the virus even though the sweat and saliva are banned from using. If a player is in the field, it is natural that he would get sweaty and swipe his hands on his face, which could naturally transfer the disease to others.
Chetan Sharma on ball-tampering:
“If the usage of artificial substances are made legal then what happened to all the debate we have had over the years on ball-tampering,” Chetan Sharma said to Times of India.
“Moreover if a player is spending around six hours a day in the middle, just observe the number of times they lick their lips. There is no chance that they won’t lick their lips or wipe their faces with their hands when they are out there for that long,” Chetan Sharma added.
“So whether you put saliva on the ball or not your germs are going on it anyhow. So if they are stopping this practice to ensure that your germs don’t reach the ball, they have failed right there because the body fluids will reach the ball in some way or the other. You can’t tell the players that they can’t wipe the sweat off their faces or bodies,” Chetan Sharma added.
Chetan Sharma, further, supported the decision to play IPL behind closed doors. He also of the view that the lucrative league should be hosted this year to support the young player because IPL is a big opportunity for them.