Banning or using saliva or sweat on the ball has become a never-ending debate since the outbreak of the coronavirus. Various former and current cricketers have given their views, but so far, no solution has been found. These natural substances, which assists the bowlers, are now associated with the spread of the virus. So, their usage is under question. Former South African pacer Shaun Pollock has said that the use of sweat and saliva will not harm if players are kept under a bio-secure environment.
Use of saliva doesn’t matter if there are no symptoms: Shaun Pollock
Shaun Pollock, who has represented Proteas in 303 ODIs and 101 Tests, has said that the players need to be kept in a safe environment ahead of a match. They shall be regularly tested and monitored and also will have to follow two weeks quarantine. As per him, if no one is infected, the game can be continued as normal and then shining the ball would also be not the problem.
“I think the environment that’ll end up being created is almost going to be like a bubble, People will get tested, they’ll go into a two-week camp where they’re just going to sit and monitor how the conditions of their bodies change. And if there are no symptoms, it doesn’t really matter about shining the ball then, because you’re in the bubble and no one you come into contact with will have coronavirus,” said Shaun Pollock.
“So you can just get on with normal proceedings. I’d presume that there’d be no crowds in place, every single environment they go into would be cleaned down and sprayed, and everything along those lines,” added Pollock.
Shaun Pollock also supports to create these bio-secure environments to ensure a safe T20 World Cup in Australia at the end of the year.
“I think Australia is probably in the best scenario to create a little bit of a vacuum or bubble where maybe things can happen,’ explained the 46-year-old Pollock.
What is a biosecure environment?
Biosecurity is a set of measures aimed at preventing the introduction and/or spread of the harmful virus. For instance, England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) is planning to create such safety environments for the cricketers. As Pakistan and West Indies are set to tour England to play the Test series, ECB has chosen the venues who have on-site hotels which mean no team bus travels and no stepping out. The touring nation will also have to follow the quartine period, and a medical team will be with them who will do regular check-ups.
Well, will it be implemented successfully? Will it ensure players safety? There is no confirmed answer to that because this will be the first time any such thing that will be introduced in sports.