Ball Condition and Care in Cricket
How fielding teams legally care for the cricket ball — shining, polishing, and maintaining the asymmetry that creates swing and seam movement.
In cricket, the condition of the ball profoundly affects how it moves through the air and off the pitch. Fielding teams are permitted to care for the ball in specific ways — keeping one side shiny and polished while allowing the other to wear — to maximise the asymmetry that produces swing.
What Teams Are Allowed to Do
- Polish one side of the ball with natural sweat or saliva (though saliva was banned by ICC post-COVID from 2022 onwards).
- Dry the ball with a towel when wet.
- Remove mud from the surface.
- Keep the seam clean by drying it.
What Is Illegal (Ball Tampering)
- Applying any artificial substance (wax, lip balm, hair gel, sunscreen) to the ball surface.
- Deliberately roughing up the shiny side with fingernails, spikes, or abrasive surfaces.
- Picking the seam to make it more prominent.
- Using an implement of any kind to alter the ball's surface.
Saliva Ban
The ICC banned the use of saliva to polish the cricket ball in 2020 (initially as a COVID precaution) and confirmed the ban permanently in 2022. Sweat remains legal. The change has subtly reduced conventional swing in international cricket, as some bowlers rely on saliva's slightly different viscosity to produce specific swing.
Ball Replacement
The batting side can request an inspection of the ball's condition at any time. The umpires assess whether the ball's condition conforms to what is normal for its age. If the umpires determine it has been illegally altered, it is replaced and penalty runs are awarded.
Frequently asked questions
Why do fielders constantly polish the ball?
Maintaining a bright, smooth shiny side creates a contrast with the rough side. The greater the contrast, the more the ball will swing. Polishing is the legal equivalent of applying a substance — it works through friction, not chemistry.
How long does a cricket ball last?
In Test cricket a new ball can be taken after 80 overs. One ball therefore lasts a minimum of 80 overs. In white-ball cricket, a new ball is used from each end — two balls per innings in ODIs and T20Is.