New Zealand cricketer Glenn Phillips has come under scrutiny after he was observed using saliva on the ball during the third day’s play at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium. Phillips was captured on TV applying saliva on the ball twice in the 34th over of the innings.
According to Law 41.3, updated and implemented on October 1, 2022, teams will face a penalty of five runs for using saliva on the ball. This amendment was introduced following the onset of Covid-19, with the intention of eliminating the use of saliva to maintain ball conditions. The law specifies that using saliva on the ball will be treated similarly to other unfair methods of changing the ball’s condition.
“We are aware of it (Phillips using saliva), and we have informed the authorities,” stated Mominul Haque, Bangladesh’s captain. The team manager, Nafees Iqbal, confirmed witnessing the incident on the field.
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On-field umpires Ahsan Raza and Paul Reiffel did not intervene or take any action at the time of the incident. New Zealand pacer Kyle Jamieson, unaware of the incident when it occurred, refrained from providing details, stating, “Yeah, I didn’t see it. I’ll have to go back and watch the footage.”
This incident follows a previous case where Nepal was penalized five runs when Alishan Sharafu used saliva during an ODI match against the UAE in November 2022.
Despite the ongoing controversy, Bangladesh holds a strong position in the ongoing Test, extending their lead beyond 200 runs by stumps on the third day, with seven wickets remaining to be added to their total.