It Is Natural For Me To Apply Saliva On Cricket Ball, Will Be Tough To Let Go Off The Habit: Ashwin

"It is natural for me to put saliva. It's going to take some practise (to not apply saliva). But I think, if we all have to co-exist, which is the DNA of the human race, we will have to try and adapt to this."

Photo: AFP

New Delhi: India's leading test off spinner Ravichandran Ashwin said on Wednesday that it won't be easy to let go of the habit of applying saliva on the cricket ball, an age old practice used by bowlers to shine the red cherry in the 'Gentleman's Game'.

Ashwin's comments came at the back of the International Cricket Council's (ICC) Cricket Committee's  recommendation over banning the use of saliva to polish the ball as a preventive step to contain  the COVID-19 spread among cricketers on the green turf. "I don't know (when is) the next time I go out there," said Ashwin during an Instagram video chat with Delhi Capitals. "It is natural for me to put saliva. It's going to take some practise (to not apply saliva). But I think, if we all have to co-exist, which is the DNA of the human race, we will have to try and adapt to this." The banning of the usage of saliva to keep the shine on the ball particularly in longer format was one of the standout features of the committee's recommendations for when cricket resumes around the world. The sport came to a standstill in mid-March due to the coronavirus pandemic that has infected over 4.5 million people around the world. Earlier, Austalian fast bowler Pat Cummins said that a substitute to saliva needs to be allowed. "If we remove saliva, we have to have another option," he told cricket.com.au. "Sweat's not bad, but I think we need something more than that, ideally. Whatever that is, wax or I don't know what. "If that's what that science is telling us, that it's high risk using saliva ... as long as we're keeping other options open, whether that's sweat or something artificial. We have to be able to shine the ball somehow so I'm glad they've let sweat remain."