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- Shami requests the ban on using saliva to shine cricket balls be lifted.
Shami requests the ban on using saliva to shine cricket balls be lifted.
Mohammed Shami has urged the ICC to lift the ban on using saliva to shine the bal
Mohammed Shami has urged the ICC to lift the ban on using saliva to shine the ball, believing it would bring back reverse swing and add balance to the game. Speaking after India’s Champions Trophy semi-final win over Australia, he said, "We keep requesting that saliva be allowed so we can bring reverse swing back and make the game more competitive."
The saliva ban was introduced in 2020 during Covid and made permanent in 2022, but Shami isn’t alone in calling for its reversal. Former pacers Tim Southee and Vernon Philander have also voiced their support, pointing out how high-scoring games have become the norm. Southee argued that bowlers need some advantage, saying, "With teams regularly scoring 360-plus, there has to be something in our favor."
Philander echoed similar concerns, suggesting that reverse swing could have helped South Africa in their Champions Trophy semi-final against New Zealand, where they struggled to contain the opposition, conceding 362 for 6.
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International games
Namibia vs Netherlands
NED 159 (39.1)
NAM 106 (30)
Netherlands won by 53 runs (40 Ovs game due to rain)
Deol and Meghna propel Giants to No. 2.
Gujarat Giants 178 for 5 (Deol 70*, Mooney 44, Pandey 2-31, Jonassen 2-38) beat Delhi Capitals 177 for 5 (Lanning 92, Shafali 40, Meghna 3-35) by five wickets
Gujarat Giants’ powerful batting lineup outshone Delhi Capitals’ all-international bowling attack, overcoming their own fielding lapses to secure a thrilling victory and move closer to their first-ever playoffs berth. Chasing a challenging 178, Beth Mooney, Harleen Deol, and Deandra Dottin produced a stunning effort, plundering 103 runs in the final 10 overs to seal a five-wicket win with three balls to spare.
With this win over the table-toppers—who have already qualified for the playoffs—Giants leapfrogged Mumbai Indians to claim second place, thanks to a superior net run rate. However, MI still have two games left compared to Giants’ one. This result also officially knocked UP Warriorz out of the playoff race. Now, Giants and MI are set for a crucial clash on March 10 in Mumbai.
The chase was anchored by Mooney’s steady 44, followed by a brilliantly paced unbeaten 70 off 49 from Deol and a quickfire 24 off 10 from Dottin. Kashvee Gautam then stole the spotlight in the final moments, delivering the finishing touch when 13 runs were needed off seven balls.
Their efforts overshadowed a classy 92 off 57 from Meg Lanning, who struck 15 boundaries but couldn’t fully capitalize on the two lifelines gifted by the Giants.
"Every time I step onto the cricket field, I carry the hopes and dreams of millions of Indians with me."
Domestic cricket + T20 leagues
No games today.
Picture of the week
On This Day
The day cricket welcomed one of its most charismatic and destructive batters. Isaac Vivian Alexander Richards didn’t just walk—he strutted, likely with gum in his mouth, because he remains the coolest man to ever don the pads. More than just a power hitter, Richards combined swagger with sheer dominance, boasting a Test average above 50—a rarity among attacking batters.
To understand his impact, imagine the fear Adam Gilchrist or Sachin Tendulkar instilled in bowlers, then multiply it tenfold. Richards delivered two of the greatest ODI innings—an unbeaten 189 against England in 1984 and a match-winning 138 in the 1979 World Cup final. In Tests, he dismantled attacks with the fastest century at the time (56 balls vs. England in 1986) and a monumental 291 at The Oval in 1976—a year in which he piled up a record 1710 Test runs.
Fearless to the core, Richards never wore a helmet, yet his ability to dispatch straight deliveries through or over midwicket became legendary. Knighted in 1999 and named one of Wisden’s Five Cricketers of the Century in 2000, he remains the epitome of style and dominance in cricketing history.
Coming tomorrow
India Masters vs West Indies Masters
UP Warriorz Women vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru Women