ESPNcricinfo has learned that several captains agreed that the saliva ban, which was adopted by ICC and followed by the member boards across all levels of cricket, was hurting the bowlers especially in not facilitating reverse swing, which has become rare in white-ball cricket, including ODIs where two new balls are used.

"It's very good for bowlers. It's excellent news for us bowlers because when the ball is not doing anything, applying saliva on the ball will increase the chances of finding some reverse swing," Siraj told PTI. "It sometimes aids reverse swing because scrubbing the ball against the shirt will not help (to get reverse swing). But using saliva on the ball will help in maintaining (the shine on one side), and it is important."

He had also got the backing of two former international bowlers in Vernon Philander and Tim Southee.

"That was a rule brought around Covid with the virus going around the world, but I think as a bowler, you want to have a slight advantage," Southee said on ESPNcricinfo's Match Day. "We see the game going the way it's going and seeing sides score 362 and more often than not over 300 in this format. I think there needs to be something in the bowlers' favour, and whether that's a little bit of saliva, then yeah, I don't see why they couldn't afford to get that back in."