Cricket may get ‘pretty boring’ following saliva ban, warns Australia pacer Mitchell Starc

Australia’s pace spearhead Mitchell Starc on Tuesday (May 26) said that cricket could become “pretty boring” if the ICC fails to strike a balance between bat and ball in the wake of the coronavirus-linked ban on use of saliva by fast bowlers to shine the ball.

Starc expressed hope that the decision will also discourage aspiring fast bowlers.

“We don’t want to lose that or make it less even, so there needs to be something in place to keep that ball swinging,” Starc told reporters during an online press conference.

“Otherwise people aren’t going to be watching it and kids aren’t going to want to be bowlers. In Australia in the last couple of years we’ve had some pretty flat wickets, and if that ball’s going straight it’s a pretty boring contest,” he added.

Notably,Anil Kumble-led ICC cricket committee had supported the idea of banning the use of saliva by fast bowlers to shine the ball in order to curb the spread of coronavirus.

Starc suggested that the ICC should allow the bowlers to shine the ball using some other ways for the time being.

“It’s an unusual time for the world and if they’re going to remove saliva shining for a portion of time they need to think of something else for that portion of time as well,” he said.

Ta;king aout the day-night Test in the home series against India, Starc said, “I think absolutely a pink-ball Test in the series against India is a great thing. The fans love it, I think it creates a different aspect to the contest, bat and ball are closer together in that contest.”

It may be recalled that Starc played in the first ever day-night Test against New Zealand in 2015 and have played seven games since then.

“India played a pink-ball game in India so they’re not completely foreign to it. In terms of an advantage, if you like, we do have a good record at home with the pink ball,” Starc said.