CHENNAI: The news that the International Cricket Council( ICC) may change its laws on ball-tampering and allow the use of an external compound to shine the ball has the potential to considerably modify the game of cricket as we understand it.
This development follows the observation by the ICC’s medical committee that the use of saliva or sweat to shine the ball could be hazardous due to the Coronavirus pandemic.
Shining the ball is particularly necessary in Test cricket, where bowlers require to produce sideways movement with the old ball in order to stay in the video game. Bowlers typically shine one side of the red cherry while keeping the opposite dry in order to obtain reverse swing.
Former India seamer Manoj Prabhakar, who was a great exponent of swing bowling duri