So, now that the ban on the use of #saliva on a #cricket ball is permanent, it's literally the end of an era where seam bowling is concerned.
Can't help but recollect a priceless conversation I had with the one-&-only -- Wasim Akram -- some years ago on this subject.
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Can't help but recollect a priceless conversation I had with the one-&-only -- Wasim Akram -- some years ago on this subject.
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It was some promotional event and I found myself in conversation with the man. He, I thought, was in the mood to chat too.
And when he's in the mood to talk, I can tell you from that personal experience, you'll want to keep everything aside and just listen.
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And when he's in the mood to talk, I can tell you from that personal experience, you'll want to keep everything aside and just listen.
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So, I listened.
"Ball jo banta tha... usme do main factors hote the. Saliva aur shine...
"Delivery khatm hone ke baad... ball ek specific route se waapis aata tha -- wicket-keeper se slip, slip se gully ya point, wahan se cover ya mid-off, & back to the bowler...
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"Ball jo banta tha... usme do main factors hote the. Saliva aur shine...
"Delivery khatm hone ke baad... ball ek specific route se waapis aata tha -- wicket-keeper se slip, slip se gully ya point, wahan se cover ya mid-off, & back to the bowler...
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Translation:
"There were two major factors in "making of the ball" -- saliva & shine.
"After the delivery got completed, it would return to the bowler via a specific, predetermined route -- wicket-keeper to slip to gully or point to cover or mid-off and back to the bowler".
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"There were two major factors in "making of the ball" -- saliva & shine.
"After the delivery got completed, it would return to the bowler via a specific, predetermined route -- wicket-keeper to slip to gully or point to cover or mid-off and back to the bowler".
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"Aur wohi specific fielders hote the jinhe ball shine karne ki responsibility di jaati thi...
"Agar aap ko woh responsibility nahi di gayi ho aur aapke haath mein ball aa jaye, toh aap ko chup chaap use aage forward kar dena hai..."
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"Agar aap ko woh responsibility nahi di gayi ho aur aapke haath mein ball aa jaye, toh aap ko chup chaap use aage forward kar dena hai..."
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Translation:
"There were specific fielders who would be responsible for shining the ball. If there was a fielder who wasn't given that responsibility & the ball came to him 'by mistake', all he had to do was forward it to the fielder responsible... and not do anything else".
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"There were specific fielders who would be responsible for shining the ball. If there was a fielder who wasn't given that responsibility & the ball came to him 'by mistake', all he had to do was forward it to the fielder responsible... and not do anything else".
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"Ek baar ball ek fielder ke paas chali gayi aur uska kaam nahi tha shine karne ka... lekin usne saliva use kiya aur ball ko trouser pe shine kiya...
"Maine usse kaha, agar agli baar ye hua toh tu dressing room mein baithega..."
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"Maine usse kaha, agar agli baar ye hua toh tu dressing room mein baithega..."
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Translation:
"Once, the ball went to a fielder who wasn't supposed to use saliva on it or shine it.
"But he began doing it nonetheless and I told him -- next time I see you doing this, you'll be sitting in the dressing room".
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"Once, the ball went to a fielder who wasn't supposed to use saliva on it or shine it.
"But he began doing it nonetheless and I told him -- next time I see you doing this, you'll be sitting in the dressing room".
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He told me the the fielder's name too, but I'm not sure if the name I remember is actually the one -- therefore not using the name.
Also, the conversation happened years ago, so where I've quoted Wasim may not exactly be in verbatim. But it's the exact gist...
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Also, the conversation happened years ago, so where I've quoted Wasim may not exactly be in verbatim. But it's the exact gist...
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So, it was a machine like process. Regardless of whether the batsman played the ball or left it, the ball would come back to the wicket-keeper, and then follow a certain direction before it reached the bowler again....
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And during this process, the exactly fielders chosen to shine the ball would apply Saliva exactly where Wasim wanted it and then shine it cherry-red.
The ball would start getting "ready".
This was the beauty of the 90s. Wonder if cricket will ever see that magic again.
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The ball would start getting "ready".
This was the beauty of the 90s. Wonder if cricket will ever see that magic again.
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In another conversation -- this was post-pandemic -- the great Sachin Tendulkar once spoke at leisure about the possible replacements for saliva and what can be potentially done.
This was when Covid had just begun to disrupt our lived and saliva had been first banned.
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This was when Covid had just begun to disrupt our lived and saliva had been first banned.
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That I'll keep for another day.
When Wasim Akram retired, there were many great headlines to honor the man. But my favorite was one that appeared in Mid-Day -- a tabloid in Mumbai.
"WASIM BYE".
Wasim bhai was a one-&-only.
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When Wasim Akram retired, there were many great headlines to honor the man. But my favorite was one that appeared in Mid-Day -- a tabloid in Mumbai.
"WASIM BYE".
Wasim bhai was a one-&-only.
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