Mitchell Starc vouches for relaxations in ball-tampering rule
Australian pace spearhead Mitchell Starc believes the game of cricket will become tedious for bowlers if ball-tampering rules are not relaxed. His statement comes after ICC Cricket Committee barred the use of any external substance in order to shine the ball. The committee also prohibited saliva usage is its recommendations. Starc also gave an account of Australia's flat surfaces. Here is more.
"We don't want to lose that or make it less even, so there needs to be something in place to keep that ball swinging. Otherwise people aren't going to be watching it and kids aren't going to want to be bowlers," Starc told reporters.
ICC Cricket Committee chairman Anil Kumble, on Sunday, revealed that recommendation to ban saliva usage is only an interim measure to safeguard players' health. He added the rule will be revoked, once the pandemic is over. Kumble admitted the committee wanted to eliminate any such substance from the game. "We've been very focused on eliminating any external substances coming into the game," he said.
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Starc said the ground staff should produce balanced wickets and also advocated the tweak in ball-tampering rules. "It's an unusual time and if they're going to remove saliva shining for a portion of time they, need to think of something else for that portion as well," he said. "(Either) with the wickets not being as flat or at least considering this shining wax."
The International Cricket Council (ICC) recently released a set of comprehensive guidelines for resumption of cricket. According to the guidelines, the players can not use saliva to shine the ball. The use of any external substance is also restricted.
