Legalising ball-tampering: Here's what veterans Holding, Waqar, Donald said

The International Cricket Council, during its recent CEC meeting, considered the use of artificial substances on the ball instead of saliva

West Indies great Michael Holding has rejected suggestions that cricketers be allowed to change the natural condition of balls with a foreign object--a precautionary measure called in the wake of coronavirus pandemic.
 
Holding believes there is 'no logic' behind the reported move as players will anyway be playing the game in a safe environment and use of saliva on the ball shouldn't be an issue.
 
The International Cricket Council (ICC), during its recent CEC meeting, considered the use of artificial substances on the ball instead of saliva.
 
"I have read that ICC is contemplating preventing people from using saliva on the ball due to coronavirus and allowing them to use foreign substances on the ball to keep the shine on but in front of the umpire. I don't understand the logic behind that," Holding told cricket website ESPNcricinfo.

 
"Before they got to that point they said if they restart cricket it has to be played in a bio-secure environment. Now, if you are saying everyone is in the bio-secure environment, you are staying in the same hotel, you are not moving for the length of time you are playing the matches, if that is the case why are you worried about someone's saliva," he added.
 
Pakistani cricket legend Waqar Younis
 
Pakistan legend Waqar Younis made it clear that use of saliva is a must and can't be done away with when competitive cricket resumes.
 
"As a fast bowler, I reject this because this (using saliva and sweat) is a natural process. A ball exchanges hands all day, you run in, huffing and puffing, you sweat and using saliva is natural rather than on intent. It's a habit and you just can't control this aspect," Waqar said.
 
He felt that all these kind of ideas show desperation to start proceedings.

 
“I don't know how this discussion came up but I feel people who want the game to be played are frustrated with the lockdown. They are overthinking about it. I doubt this new idea of using (artificial) substance instead of saliva is a solution,” he added.
 
"You can make a bowler use a predefined substance on the ball, but at the same time practically it's not possible to prevent a bowler using his sweat or saliva," Pakistan's current bowling coach said.
 
Allan Donald
 
Donald, however, is open to the idea.
 
“I absolutely agree with legalising ball-tampering. I said so in an article sometime in the 2000s. It happens anyway, we see guys throwing the ball on the ground and umpires say to throw it up and it's pretty obvious what they are doing. It could work if it is well-monitored,” he said.