In recent days there has been a controversy surrounding the bats that cricketers are using nowadays.
Law 6 of the Laws of Cricket states, “the bat length cannot be more than 96.5cm (38inches) and width not be more than 10.8cm (4.25inches)” Bats typically weigh between 2 pounds, 7 ounces and 3 pounds, 4 ounces. However, there is no standard rule for the weight of the bats.
Sachin Tendulkar used heavier bats (3lb 2oz) throughout his career. Though experts feel he could have scored more runs in his career if he had used lighter bats, according to his autobiography, Tendulkar was more comfortable with heavier ones.
Other players like Don Bradman, Sourav Ganguly, Mohammed Azharuddin, and Adam Gilchrist wielded lighter bats to get their timing right. These players mostly believed in their skills more than the weight of the bat.
Apart from light and heavier bats, different kind of bats have also come into the limelight. In 1979, Dennis Lillee used the Combat aluminium metal bat, which was banned for damaging balls. After that incident, a new rule stating the blade must be entirely made of wood was introduced.
Ricky Ponting, who wants bat sizes to be reduced, also used a bat reinforced by carbon fibre to support the spine. However, this bat was also banned by the ICC.
The other innovative bats used in cricket includes the Uzi, created by Newbery in 2004. This had a truncated blade and stretched handle for the Twenty20 format. The next version of Uzi was launched in 2009 by Mongoose. The design was unusual in that the blade was 33 per cent shorter than a conventional bat while the handle was 43 per cent longer. Matthew Hayden used the Mongoose bat in the 2010 Indian Premier League.
Legends from the past yielded both heavier and lighter bats. But there were positive and negatives for both kinds of bats. Heavier bats would generate more power but would be too weighty to perfectly time the ball all the time. Lighter bats were easy to handle but reduced the power of the batsman.
The current controversy is not about heavier bats or lighter bats. It is about the modern day bats.
Due to the technology the bat sizes have increased but the weight has remained the same. The sweet spots were once only in the middle of the bat but now occupy all of the willow. It turns mishit shots into boundaries.
A major concern is the risk of injury to the bowlers, umpires and fielders. Fielders who are standing in close must wear every bit of protective gear escape injury.
The improvement of modern bats has discouraged bowlers, drastically reducing their impact.
The ICC and MCC must take in the consideration of the modern day bats and make regulations to reduce their size. This will make the game more even, and allow bowlers a fairer contest.
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