Follow UsIndia’s Mohammed Shami advocated bringing back the use of saliva by bowlers in cricket to make ODIs more interesting. Shami, who picked up three wickets in the semi-final of the Champions Trophy 2025 against Australia, said that without the use of saliva, it gets difficult to reverse swing the ball.
“We are trying to reverse, but you are not getting the use of saliva into the game,” Shami was quoted as saying to reporters by The Indian Express after the end of the first semi-final in Dubai.
The use of saliva was banned during the Covid pandemic by the International Cricket Council (ICC) to stop the spread of the virus.
To reverse swing the ball, one side needs to be very shiny and the other side needs to be rough, making the ball swing opposite to the flow of air because of its heaviness towards one side.
“We are constantly appealing to allow the use of saliva, and it will be interesting with the reverse swing,” Shami added.
The 34-year-old, who is making his international comeback after his last ICC event appearance in the 2023 ODI World Cup, picked a five-wicket haul in the first match against Bangladesh.
“I am trying to get my rhythm back and contribute more to the team. I am ready to bowl long spells,” he said about getting back to his usual best.
India will now play the final in Dubai against the winner of the second semi-final between South Africa and New Zealand. India head coach Gautam Gambhir feels that Shami will be very important in that encounter as well.
“He’s phenomenal and the hunger he brings on the table, the way he trains, the way he practises — that’s why you see all those results,” Gambhir said about Shami.