Australian manufacturer Kookaburra has developed a wax applicator that would allow cricket balls to be shined without using sweat or saliva and believes it could be ready to use within a month.
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The time-honoured methods of polishing - which are crucial to the art of swing bowling - appear to be incompatible with health advice regarding transmission of Covid-19 and there is a possibility the use of bodily fluids could be temporarily banned when top-level cricket finally returns.
The laws of cricket explicitly state that fielders must not use "artificial substances" to alter the condition of the ball but the idea that umpires would oversee the process, or even use the sponge applicator on behalf of the bowling team, provides a possible solution.
Inspired by existing products used in the footwear industry, Kookaburra has been busy working on a compound that would help bowlers avoid becoming disadvantaged in a post-coronavirus context.
"The most effective mitigating action to avoid risk would be to introduce a temporary ban on the traditional shining method. This could be immediately introduced, enabling cricket to resume as soon as it is safe," Kookaburra managing director Brett Elliott said.
"We've been working on a product to replace the traditional methods of polishing a ball that could be controlled and managed by the match umpire; we have developed a unique wax formula for polishing a cricket ball."
Elliott said a pocket-size sponge applicator would enable umpires or players to apply a thin layer of wax which could then be rubbed and polished to enhance the shine on the ball.
While it is yet to be tested in match conditions, Elliott said it could be available in a month and be used as a short to medium term solution for shining the ball.
"The ultimate objective and challenge faced by manufacturers and administrators is to ensure the balance between bat and ball is preserved," he said.
Elliott also referred to an idea longer in gestation, a ball made from entirely artificial materials. In the past that has primarily attracted interest from animal rights group and vegan activists but has now entered the current pandemic conversation.
"Kookaburra has been working for several years on the development of a synthetic ball to avoid the use of leather. This ball would not require traditional polishing," he added.
The England and Wales Cricket Board use Dukes as supplier of their red Test balls, as do Ireland and the West Indies, India use SG and the rest of the full member nations opt for Kookaburra, which makes all white balls for limited-overs cricket.
Australian Associated Press
