Make bowlers wear masks to stop them from using saliva 'instinctively': Misbah-ul-Haq tells ICC

Pakistan head coach and chief selector, Misbah-ul-Haq, on Monday (May 25) said that it will not be easy for the fast bowlers to adopt to ICC's new guidelines for resumption of cricket, adding that the bowlers should be asked to wear masks in order to stop them from using saliva on the ball "instinctively".

Notably, several "back to cricket" guidelines are recommended by the  International Cricket Council (ICC), including a 14-day pre-match isolation training camps for the resumption of cricketing activities amid coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic.

The ICC Cricket Committee, led by former India skipper Anil Kumble, has also recommended a ban on using saliva on the ball in order to curb the spread of coronavirus.

"It is not going to be easy at all (bowling without applying saliva). This is a habit players have developed since the start of their cricket. Even if a player keeps in mind the new restrictions somewhere he might act instinctively,? Misbah said in an interview to YouTube Cricket Channel 'Cricket Baaz'.

"We might have to do something to prevent this. Like making bowlers wear a mask or some other restrictive protection so that they don't use saliva instinctively," he added.

Other guidelines issued by the ICC include regular hand sanitisation of the players, no loo or shower breaks while training, minimising time spent in the changing room before and after a game and no handing over of personal items to teammates or the on-field umpires.

Misbah said that players will need time to adopt the new playing conditions. "It is like when you keep on driving a car your reactions become automated," he said.

Misbah also admitted that the performance of the bowlers will be affected by the ICC's guidelines. "Our bowlers could find it difficult in English conditions. Because they regularly use saliva to shine one side of the ball to get it to swing more. You can shine the ball through other legal methods but using saliva ensures one side of the ball has weight and this is very helpful to the pace bowlers," Misbah added.