Further restrictions on ball shining for England tour

Australia's players have been told to not use sweat from their head, face or neck to shine the ball during their upcoming white-ball campaign against England.

The International Cricket Council has already banned the use of saliva to maintain the ball during the COVID-19 pandemic, but it has still been legal to take sweat from anywhere on the body and rub it on the ball for the international matches played in England over the past two months.

But in a further restriction on ball maintenance aimed at reducing any possible risk of the coronavirus being spread, Australia's players have been told to not use sweat from their head, face or neck during their six white-ball matches against England next month. 

It means the sight of an Australian player lifting his shirt and gathering sweat from his back or stomach will be a common occurrence in the three T20s and three one-dayers.

It's believed the change is not an official ICC rule but based on medical advice from Cricket Australia to its players.

When the ICC announced the ban on saliva earlier this year, it said sweat is still permitted because its medical advice showed "it is highly unlikely that the virus can be transmitted" that way.

But given there are still many unknowns regarding the novel coronavirus, CA has taken a cautious approach when it comes to using sweat from near a player's mouth or nose.

Star paceman Mitchell Starc said he's unfazed by the further tightening of regulations for the upcoming white-ball games, but added Australia's attack will need to confront the new rules about ball maintenance head on when they return to Test cricket later this year.

"It's probably not something that's too relevant in white-ball cricket," Starc said on Thursday.

"Once that new ball starts to go, you're trying to keep it dry anyway. It's more of a question for red-ball cricket.

"No doubt we'll find out what it's like in these practice games and if we need to revisit some planning around it, I'm sure we'll have a chat before the series gets underway.

"I think we saw a bit during that England (Test) series, Jofra (Archer) using some sweat off his back and that sort of thing.

"If the world stays as it is for a little while, those restrictions will still be there. That saliva one will probably be around for a lot longer anyway.

"It's one for the red-ball team to talk about when we get to that point, but at the moment we're pretty good."

The ban on saliva seemingly didn't have too great an impact during England's Test summer, with pace bowlers from all teams still able to produce significant movement thanks to the permitted use of all sweat and the bowler-friendly Dukes ball.

It's yet to be seen how much the red Kookaburra ball will swing on traditionally flatter Australian pitches this summer when bowlers can't use saliva to maintain it.

Australia's cricketers have been banned from using all sweat and saliva during training sessions with their domestic sides at home and will use their four warm-up games in England this week to adjust further to the change.

Australia's three-match T20 series against England, their first international cricket since March, will start early on the morning of September 5 (AEST) before three ODIs in September 11, 13 and 16.

2020 Tour of England

Australia's T20 and ODI squad: Aaron Finch (c), Sean Abbott, Ashton Agar, Alex Carey, Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Riley Meredith, Josh Philippe, Daniel Sams, Kane Richardson, Steven Smith, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, Andrew Tye, Matthew Wade, David Warner, Adam Zampa

England squad: TBC

September 4: 1st T20, Southampton, 3am AEST Sept 5

September 6: 2nd T20, Southampton, 11.15pm AEST

September 8: 3rd T20, Southampton, 3am AEST Sept 9

September 11: 1st ODI, Old Trafford, 10pm AEST

September 13: 2nd ODI, Old Trafford, 10pm AEST

September 16: 3rd ODI, Old Trafford, 10pm AEST