Saliva ban could change the swing of things in cricket

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — A move to ban the use of saliva to shine a cricket ball because of the danger of transmitting COVID-19 may force bowlers to relearn or reinvent one of the sport’s most prized but troublesome skills. The International Cricket Council’s cricket committee, comprising a roll call of former top players, has recommended on medical advice that spit polishing the ball should be prohibited while the coronavirus outbreak persists. Unlike baseball, where the spitball has long been illegal, some methods in cricket are a well-established part of the game. The cricket decision was based on evidence from Dr. Peter Harcourt, the chair of the ICC’s medical advisory committee,...