Matthew Hayden not in favour of ICC committee's saliva ban recommendation

After a month of much contemplation by the International Cricket Council (ICC), cricket is set to do away with one of its oldest practices, i.e. using saliva to maintain shine on the ball. On Monday, May 18, an Anil Kumble-led ICC committee recommended on banning the exercise due to the contagious nature of the coronavirus disease. However, ICC sees no health hazard in letting players to use sweat on the ball.

While the cricketing fraternity was pretty much divided over the move even before an official announcement was made, former Australian cricketer Matthew Hayden recently chose his side after ICC’s latest recommendation.

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Matthew Hayden bats for saliva usage after Anil Kumble and ICC’s decision

While speaking with The Times of India, Matthew Hayden said that he finds ICC’s saliva ban decision a bit “strange”. The former Australian opening batsman was of the opinion that using saliva on a ball was “integral” to the sport and expressed his concern for the sport after the change in rule. Matthew Hayden added that ICC could simply test players before the match to see if they affected by the coronavirus disease. The burly Queenslander believes that players, if free from the virus, can be allowed to use sweat as well as saliva on the ball.

Matthew Hayden on T20 World Cup and IPL

The coronavirus pandemic has forced the ICC to halt all international immediate cricketing activities until further notice. While the T20 World Cup is scheduled to be played in Australia between October and November later this year, it is still clouded with much uncertainty at the moment. Speaking about the T20 World Cup, Matthew Hayden said that the tournament is highly unlikely to go ahead at this stage. He also stated that he is not a fan of cricket behind closed doors and said that the T20 World Cup, if organised, should not be played without travelling fans.

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Matthew Hayden also expressed his doubts regarding the staging of the much-awaited Indian Premier League 2020 (IPL 2020) in India. Considering the lockdown in India, he was of the opinion that a decision regarding IPL 2020 should be taken by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) only after taking all factors into consideration.

Fate of T20 World Cup and IPL 2020

According to a recent report in the PTI, the governing council is contemplating to shift the T20 World Cup to 2021. With such a move, the report further stated that the tournament could make way for a potential staging of the IPL 2020 during the two-month (October and November) window.

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Also Read | Anil Kumble led ICC Committee Recommends Ban On Saliva Amid Threat Of COVID Transmission