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The physics behind the shine on a cricket ball
Gulf News
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2/15/2025
How does the shine affect the swing of a cricket ball?
Watch: A detailed analysis of art of seam bowling
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00:00
Just to give it a little perspective, this is a ball which has got a bit of a shine.
00:04
Not exactly a new ball, maybe about 1 or 2 overs old, where with a bit of your sweat
00:12
you can bring the shine back onto the ball.
00:15
What happens is every ball the bowler bowls, either he wants to bring the ball in or he
00:20
wants to bring the ball out.
00:21
So every time the ball pitches on the ground, one side is going to get affected and the
00:25
other side they keep shining the ball.
00:27
So it will become something like this.
00:30
So one side will slowly get the rough and the other side will be shiny.
00:34
By the way, the autograph here is of the legendary Shane Wan.
00:38
So I am honoured to hold that ball.
00:42
So one side is shiny and the other side is rough.
00:44
So what happens is, just to illustrate, by holding the seam like this, facing the third
00:51
man, because I am talking from a right handed batsman perspective.
00:56
So this way, when the bowler is bowling an out swing, this is the way you bowl.
01:01
And if you have to bowl an in swing, the shine is on the outside and the seam is pointing
01:04
towards the fine leg and you bring the ball in.
01:06
Basically the ball swings towards the rough side.
01:09
Yes, basically initially to start with, the shine will take the ball towards that part.
01:14
When you throw the ball, its crosses are very fast and this ball is rough, it has more traction
01:24
with the end.
01:25
So then that side the ball swings, right?
01:27
Ball swings, correct.
01:28
Absolutely, you are right.
01:29
So this happens initially about 15-20 overs, there will be shine, this ball maybe for 15-20
01:35
overs you can use it, you can keep shining.
01:38
The saliva is gone, now we are using the sweat.
01:41
So slowly this side.
01:42
Which side bowlers use saliva?
01:44
This side, the one which is shiny.
01:46
This is the side you use.
01:47
Why do they use the saliva?
01:48
Saliva, because only with the, how will you shine it?
01:51
The ball becomes like this.
01:52
Even here, if I use my sweat or saliva, you can bring back this condition.
01:57
But you wanted to do this because you wanted to differentiate and bring the ball more,
02:02
to increase the swing of the ball.
02:04
Basically for the swing.
02:05
Swing, basically.
02:06
Even for the swimmers.
02:07
So what's the change now?
02:08
See, instead of saliva, you have to use sweat.
02:11
So sweat is slightly heavier than saliva.
02:14
So as you use sweat, this side becomes a bit heavier.
02:18
But the shine will be the same, but it will become heavier.
02:21
But with saliva, when the balance is even, and after 30 overs, more rough comes into
02:27
the side, and if this is the in-swing I bowl, but at a good pace, when the rough is more
02:34
predominant on the other side, as the ball is going, suddenly there is a drag force and
02:40
takes the ball away.
02:41
So what difference it will make, Satish, if now bowlers are not allowed to use saliva?
02:46
The reverse swing will not be as predominant as it used to be when there is, slightly disadvantage
02:55
to the bowlers.
02:56
That's what is the biggest disadvantage.
03:00
And again, it also comes, the shine also comes into play for the spinners as well.
03:04
As an off spinner, you bowl the ball, this is the spin you impart.
03:09
But what happens is, with the shine, it keeps drifting, and then comes, pitches and comes
03:13
in.
03:14
So you can fool the batsman, because everything, the batsman is looking at the angle, the target,
03:18
how it's happening.
03:19
So once it is going, he might think that the ball is going away.
03:22
So he might try to play that way, that the ball comes in, so you make him do that slight
03:29
error in judgment.
03:30
Will it make difference with the use of saliva on the red ball, white ball, pink ball?
03:36
If you look at the texture of the ball, it's different.
03:38
This is different, the white ball is different, the pink ball is different, the red ball is
03:41
different.
03:42
Yes, on all three balls, if you look at, of course, these are all not the high quality
03:46
ones.
03:47
This is the SG test one.
03:49
So there is a slight disadvantage, like when you use saliva, there is no problem with that,
03:55
because that's how it used to be.
03:56
There is no alteration in the balance, the balance remains the same.
04:00
That's not allowed anymore.
04:01
Yeah, it's not allowed anymore.
04:02
So the sweat will make it slightly heavier on the other side.
04:06
So but I'm sure over a period of time, the bowlers will get used to bowling with the
04:11
sweat on, and they will be able to control it.
04:14
You mean to say that bowlers need to work harder to swing the ball?
04:17
Yes.
04:18
Especially when it's old.
04:19
Correct.
04:20
See, just to prove a point, this part is a little rough.
04:24
I use my sweat.
04:27
And then I start rubbing with my nice shiny trousers or something like that.
04:35
Then it starts getting like this, the same way.
04:37
You can bring the ball back to its shine like this.
04:41
But the bowlers prefer to keep one side rough.
04:45
Rough.
04:46
Yeah.
04:47
Because that helps them in the reverse swing, because that's where, see as a batsman, when
04:50
I'm as a batsman starting here, if I see the shine on the other side, I know the bowler
04:55
is going to bowl an in-swinger.
04:56
If the shine is on the outside, I know the bowler is bowling an out-swinger.
04:59
So will it make a difference for spinners also, with the use of saliva if they win?
05:03
Yes.
05:04
But not much.
05:05
Not much for the spinners.
05:06
Because the swing is, there is a swing more than the spin and the drift.
05:10
So it's the same.
05:11
And again, what happens is, the reason why we have to keep shining one side is, the bowler,
05:16
batsman, this is the way the bowler comes in, and the batsman might think the ball is
05:20
coming in-swingers, but with the reverse swing, the last minute it goes out, then you get
05:26
into a false shot.
05:27
That's where the bowlers use the...
05:29
Basically, I would say, Satish, that you can still use sweat.
05:35
It's not a big difference.
05:38
I think the decision is more concerned about hygiene.
05:40
Absolutely.
05:41
It's a hygienic issue, because when you sweat, they put the two fingers here, and then they
05:46
rub it, and then the ball is on the ground, and they pick it up, and they do it again.
05:49
Yeah, again, like with the COVID scenario, I think...
05:51
It's more hygienic.
05:52
And, of course, it also stops people from using, as we spoke about, the gums and the
05:57
sweet candies.
05:58
That gives an extra added advantage.
06:00
So this makes it a level playing field.
06:03
Of course, the bowlers, the fast bowlers especially, are at a slight disadvantage.
06:07
I'm sure they will learn.
06:08
They will have to work around it.
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