Saliva ban on cricket ball to become law

Using saliva on the ball will be banned and considered tampering under a new set of laws announced by the MCC.

When the sport resumed after the outbreak of COVID-19, the ban was a playing condition in most forms of the game.

Research by the sport's lawmakers found this "had little or no impact on the amount of swing the bowlers were getting", with players using sweat to polish the ball, which was equally effective.

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The MCC said the new law, which will come into force from October, "also removes any grey areas of fielders eating sugary sweets to alter their saliva to apply to the ball," with its use treated the same way as "any other unfair methods of changing the condition of the ball".

In other changes announced on Tuesday, a new batter coming to the crease will face the next delivery regardless of whether the previous pair had crossed while the ball was in the air before being caught.

This follows a trial used by the England and Wales Cricket Board during the Hundred.

The law around judging a wide has been amended, given batters are now moving laterally around the crease more before the ball is bowled.

There are several changes to the dead ball law, the most significant of which if either side is disadvantaged by a person, such as a pitch invader, an animal or other object within the field of play which has a material impact on the game.