Melbourne, May 20 (IANS): Australia star pacer Pat Cummins has said while allowing sweat to be still used on the ball is helpful, the use of an artificial substance to shine it during the COVID-19 pandemic should be considered now that saliva is set to be banned.

The ICC's Cricket Committee this week proposed a ban on players using saliva on the ball to negate risk of coronavirus infection.

"If we remove saliva, we have to have another option," he told cricket.com.au.

"Sweat's not bad, but I think we need something more than that, ideally. Whatever that is, wax or I don't know what.

"If that's what that science is telling us, that it's high risk using saliva ... as long as we're keeping other options open, whether that's sweat or something artificial.

"We have to be able to shine the ball somehow so I'm glad they've let sweat remain.

"We've just got to make sure at the start of the spell we're sweating and we're nice and warm," the world's No.1 Test bowler added.