New Zealand cricketer Glenn Phillips has come under scrutiny for applying saliva on the ball during the third day’s play at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium. The incident, caught on TV, showed Phillips using saliva twice in the 34th over of the innings.
Under the updated Law 41.3, effective since October 1, 2022, teams are penalized five runs for using saliva on the ball. This change was implemented following the Covid-19 pandemic, prohibiting players from applying saliva. The law aims to maintain fairness and eliminate gray areas, such as fielders consuming sugary sweets to alter their saliva for ball treatment.
Bangladesh team manager Nafees Iqbal and captain Mominul Haque acknowledged the incident, stating that they have informed the authorities. On-field umpires Ahsan Raza and Paul Reiffel did not take immediate action during the game.
New Zealand pacer Kyle Jamieson, unaware of the incident at the time, refrained from commenting, stating, “Yeah, I have no idea what happened, or when it was, or what was seen.”
This controversy comes after Nepal was awarded five penalty runs in a similar instance involving Alishan Sharafu during an ODI match against UAE in November 2022.
Despite the off-field controversy, Bangladesh remains in control of the ongoing Test, extending their lead beyond 200 runs by the end of the third day’s play.
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