New Shield rules a test case ahead of Indian series

Cricket Australia's high-performance chief Drew Ginn admits the Marsh Sheffield Shield will be somewhat of a test case for how new ball-shining regulations affect the balance between bat and ball for first-class cricket in Australia.

As has been the case for Australia’s international games that have resumed since the onset of COVID-19, shining the ball with saliva or sweat from a player's face, neck or arms will be prohibited when the Sheffield Shield resumes in Adelaide on Saturday.

The new Shield rules go further than the updated ICC regulations for cricket in the COVID era, which ban saliva but permit sweat from all parts of the body.

While that has not been a major issue in limited-overs games, the restrictions could be a major impediment to getting the red Kookaburra ball to swing (and reverse swing) and have the potential to make batting considerably easier as the ball ages.

England resorted to using back sweat during Test series earlier this year, but pitches in Australia are not generally as lively as English ones nor does the Kookaburra ball typically hold its shine for as long as the Dukes.

With Virat Kohli and Cheteshwar Pujara leading India on their tour of Australia this summer, finding a method to get the ball to deviate off the straight shapes as a major priority for Australian bowlers.

"It is going to be a challenge," Ginn conceded when asked about ball shining. "We're hearing feedback from various quarters through the coaching ranks and high-performance manager ranks that they want to make sure the competition (in the Sheffield Shield) between bat and ball is fair and equitable.

"Everything is being done to make sure the players are safe while we also maintain that (balance).

"It's going to be a bit of a watching brief to see how it plays out.

"I know the players who have had experience with this so far have acknowledged it's not smooth sailing necessarily. But the main one for us is that we keep the players safe, and we keep the community safe in Adelaide.

"People will acknowledge it's not going to be perfect … but high-performance athletes will adapt and improve and work within their constraints."

The importance CA is placing on its COVID-19 protocols for the return of the men's first-class competition has been laid bare by a new rule that could see a player or support staff effectively lose their team a match if they breach guidelines.

The playing conditions for the Sheffield Shield have been amended to give CA the power to abandon a match when there is case (or suspected case) of COVID-19.

If an abandoned game is unable to be rescheduled and CA deems one team's players or support staff have broken its health protocols, the opposition team will be awarded the full six points plus an average of bonus points from the other two games in that round.

Teams will split the points if neither team is deemed to have been at fault.

Ginn, the three-time Olympic rowing gold medallist who was appointed to his current role by CA last year after a stint with Cricket Tasmania, said the health measures have been put in place to keep safe players and support staff, as well as the general public.

Those in the Sheffield Shield 'bubble' in Adelaide (where the first four rounds are being held) have been discouraged from interacting with the general public and from going to busy indoor venues like nightclubs and pubs, but are able to get takeaway food, sit outside at restaurants and play golf.

The restrictions are less onerous than those placed on Australia's men's and women's teams for recent series. As of Thursday, South Australia only had three active cases of the virus and the state government has been gradually easing restrictions for the general public.

"While we've got to keep the players safe… the training environment and the competition environment is a bit more normal," said Ginn.

"What we're advising is people to avoid large gatherings, eating out at restaurants where there are large amounts of people, going out to nightclubs or pubs – that's all a no go.

"Just to make sure we don't run the risk of someone getting a positive test and then potentially through tracing could implicate their teammates and their whole team.

"What we're advising is for all states to follow the guidelines, but a lot of it is common sense."

A further change to the Sheffield Shield's rules is the introduction of an illness replacement player provision, mirroring an allowance brought in at international level earlier this year.

Much like concussed players can be replaced in the XI by a "like for like" player (as Marnus Labuschagne famously was for Steve Smith when the latter was concussed during last year's Ashes), a player who test positive for COVID-19 or displays symptoms can be substituted out for a similar player.

The replacement player can bat, bowl, field and keep wickets, while the player who has been subbed out cannot return to the XI.

Up to 1,000 spectators will be permitted to attend games at Karen Rolton Oval and Glenelg but if the ball gets hit into the crowd, fielders who subsequently touch the ball will have to sanitise their hands and have the ball cleaned by an umpire.

Hand sanitiser for fielders will be placed next to drinks eskies around the grounds while non-participating players running drinks will also carry hand sanitiser.

Umpires will no longer take the bowler's hat while they bowl (nor any other piece of player equipment) and they will wipe down stumps and bails at the end of each session.