Amid the spread of Corona Virus, The Australian federal government has released a framework regarding the expected return of sports in this pandemic. The framework suggests that players will not be permitted to shine the ball with saliva or sweat once cricket training resumes.

Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) laid down some guidelines after consulting with medical experts, sporting bodies, and federal and state governments. A report in ESPNcricinfo suggests that these guidelines restrict the use of saliva and sweat to shine the ball.

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The use of saliva to shine the ball will be stopped to not risk spreading the Corona Virus. The reported shared framework by the federal government consists of three stages, leveled A, Level B, and C respectively.

The current scenario is considered to be in  “Level A”. This level only allows individual training and restricts all other forms of training. The restrictions will be moved to “Level B”  in little more than a week’s time. The Level B allows: “Nets — batters facing bowlers. Limit bowlers per net. Fielding sessions — unrestricted. No warm-up drills involving unnecessary person-person contact. No shining cricket ball with sweat/saliva during training.”

The final and the last level, “Level C”,  is expected to be permitted later in the fag end of the year. The last stage permits: “Full training and competition. No ball shining with sweat/saliva in training.”

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The framework also provides a guideline for training and management of illness in elite sports.

“Prior to resumption, sporting organizations should have agreed on protocols in place for the management of illness in athletes and other personnel. Individuals should not return to sport if in the last 14 days they have been unwell or had contact with a known or suspected case of COVID-19,” it said.

The Framework also states, “Any individual with respiratory symptoms (even if mild) should be considered a potential case. They must immediately self-isolate, have COVID-19 excluded, and be medically cleared by a doctor to return to the training environment. Athletes returning to the sport after COVID-19 infection require special consideration prior to the resumption of high-intensity physical activity.”