• Welcome to the Cricket Web forums, one of the biggest forums in the world dedicated to cricket.

    You are currently viewing our boards as a guest which gives you limited access to view most discussions and access our other features. By joining our free community you will have access to post topics, respond to polls, upload content and access many other special features. Registration is fast, simple and absolutely free so please, join the Cricket Web community today!

    If you have any problems with the registration process or your account login, please contact us.

Cricket bats size

Maximas

Cricketer Of The Year
Sanjay Manjrekar: Can we do something about monster bats? | Cricinfo Magazine | ESPN Cricinfo

What do you guys think? With new technology allowing the moisture (heaviness) of wood to be removed from bats, we have seen cricket bats become thicker and meatier without getting heavier. Do you think restrictions on the thickness of bats should be in place to try and remove the ability to batsmen to miss-hit sixes consistently as they do today? Personally I wouldn't be opposed to some sort of restriction on the ratio of bat thickness to bat weight.
 

OverratedSanity

Request Your Custom Title Now!
Just a few days ago I compared the two bats I own... One was an old MRF bought in 1996 and the other one last year. The difference is massive imo. Its ridiculous how much better these bats are for smashing the ball. In ODIs especially, it reduces the risk of slogging a great deal, so much in fact that people just smash away blindly because they know the risk vs reward element which was present in ODIs more than a decade back just isn't there anymore. Slogging isn't really a last desperate resort to get quick runs like it used to be

I'm glad Manjrekar mentioned Afridi's sixes off Ashwin in the Asia Cup. I made the same point in the tournament thread to less than favourable response. Stuff like this happens and people wonder why spinners don't attack and flight the ball to deceive batsmen in ODIs.

The bats coupled with the stupid new field restrictions, which give the batsmen even more incentive to just go over the top whenever they feel like it have destroyed ODIs. As I said risk vs reward just doesn't exist anymore. It just gives glorified hacks like Afridi more confidence to play bad cricket and win. And as much as I'd like the ICC to impose restrictions on bat sizes I can't see it happening. Sixes bring in more viewership, the batsmen of today have gotten used to the bats, will cry fowl etc etc
 
Last edited:

mono

U19 Debutant
I think baseball already does this. There are fairly well defined dimensions to the bat. I think its high time the same type of regulations are applied to cricket bats at well. I think it'll help even out the playing field a lot more.

I also think the aesthetics of batting has suffered greatly due to new bats. Poise and form are no longer important due to these bats. If you think about it, with Laxman gone, only mahela and bell are the truly attractive batsmen in operation right now. And mahela is also done. The lazy cover drive for four is in danger of disappearing altogether from the sport, and we will all be worse off for it.
 
Last edited:

OverratedSanity

Request Your Custom Title Now!
Oh and it's practically killed the bouncer in the ODI game, too. No one does it because even if it's a perfectly well directed one, it'll just be top edged over fine leg for six
 

fredfertang

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
It's an interesting question - had cricket bats been the same as they are today 250 years ago then I presume the game would have developed differently, as logic suggests that grounds would have been bigger and, following on from that, the game may have been 13 or 14 a side to ensure there were enough fielders to maintain the balance between bat and ball - personally I think things have gone too far, in that as OS says a six should be a reward for a decent stroke, and not something you get from a mi****, at least not in front of square, but folk go to T20 matches to watch the ball go all over the place, so I don't think anything will change and, being forced to admit that this year I have quite enjoyed the IPL matches I have watched, I don't see why it should.

ODIs are different again, but it is a tired format in which something drastic is probably going to have to be done soon, but I can't see any changes being about the bat, as I don't think it would be reasonable to expect batsmen to use different bats in different formats
 

karan316

State Vice-Captain
Wonder why no one ever questioned the Mongoose bat, it was almost like a huge chunk of wood at the sweet spot and the bottom of the bat, and also a bit surprised about why the tailenders don't use it, its perfect to go for a couple of ugly slogs. It looked quite normal on TV and even in the images I saw online, but it looked completely different when I actually saw it.
 

mono

U19 Debutant
Wonder why no one ever questioned the Mongoose bat, it was almost like a huge chunk of wood at the sweet spot and the bottom of the bat, and also a bit surprised about why the tailenders don't use it, its perfect to go for a couple of ugly slogs. It looked quite normal on TV and even in the images I saw online, but it looked completely different when I actually saw it.
Wah! i forgot about that. does anyone use it at the first class level any more.
 

hendrix

Hall of Fame Member
I find small boundaries more frustrating, to be honest.

Top edges have gone for six since the eighties. But definitely mis-hits in front of the wicket should not be reaching the boundary.
 

OverratedSanity

Request Your Custom Title Now!
I find small boundaries more frustrating, to be honest.

Top edges have gone for six since the eighties. But definitely mis-hits in front of the wicket should not be reaching the boundary.
Nah, they're annoying but its the bats which have magnified the problem even more. The Chinnaswamy stadium for example has never been the biggest but it hasn't magically gotten tinier. The rope is actually as far back as it used to be or even if it has been pushed in it isn't by much. Just watch some of the recent matches at the ground. There have been times when leading edges have carried 85 metres, which is a substantial distance. There's no way a mis-hit should carry that long.

That said, there are places where the boundary rope is pushed in more than 15-20 yards for absolutely no reason and that completely pisses me off. Again, I'll mention that Afridi innings in the Asia Cup. He mis-hit a pull to mid-wicket which went for six and it looked as though the rope was atleast 20 yards in. I mean what the **** have you left all that space for? Is it for the ballboys to fap to Kohli when he's batting? If so why was it in when it was ****ing Afridi at the crease?!
 
Last edited:

Top