Quantcast

Hazlewood joins call to limit big bats

Fast bowler says size does matter and modern bats need curbing – but only in Test cricket

Australia fast bowler Josh Hazlewood has backed the call to ban oversized cricket bats, but said it should only apply to Test cricket.

Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting re-opened the debate on increasingly chunky cricket bats this week and will raise the issue at the Marylebone Cricket Club's World Cricket committee meeting at Lord's next week where he hopes to garner support for a change in the Laws to restrict bat size.

Quick Single: New ball swings balance against bats

"I'm all for it," Hazlewood declared today when asked for a fast bowler's opinion on restricting bat sizes.

"Some of those cricket bats going around the dressing shed at the moment are unbelievably big. Obviously David Warner, and Usman Khawaja as well, have a few big ones.

Ponting, who was forced to abandon using a Kookaburra bat that had a graphite backing because of concerns over its effect on performance, is concerned about the ability of bat-makers to produce bats with thicker edges without adding extra weight to them.

By using denser wood, seen in David Warner's bats for instance, players now have access to huge, but relatively light, bats.

Image Id: ~/media/77CF3D5DBDF342BE827C95D982B83455 Image Caption: Barry Richards compares one of his old bats with one of Warner's in 2015 // Getty

"If you are strong enough to use them that's fine, but you should not get a bat that's bigger in size than MS Dhoni's but a whole lot lighter," the 41-year-old said at the Australian Cricket Society's annual dinner.

"Chris Gayle's the same. Everyone talks about Chris Gayle's bat size, but it's 3½lbs. He's big enough and strong enough to use it.

"I only get worried when they are really big and really light."

Gayle smashes 12-ball 50 in Big Bash

Ponting is confident he can push through change, but said he thought the bigger bats had their place in the limited-overs formats.

"I think it will happen," he said. "I am going in a couple of weeks for a World Cricket committee meeting and that will be one of the topics talked about.

"I don't mind it (big bats) for the shorter versions of the game. I would actually say you've got a bat you can use in Test cricket and a certain type of bat you can use in one-day cricket and T20 cricket. 

"The short forms of the game survive on boundaries — fours and sixes — whereas the Test game is being dominated too much now by batters because the game is a bit easier for them than it was."

Hazlewood agreed that the weight was the issue and backed Ponting's plan to restrict bat sizes in Test cricket.

"It's just the weight," Hazlewood said. "You think it's going to be so heavy but it picks up as light as any of the others.

"I think he (Ponting) has made a good point about just in Test matches. One-day cricket is a little bit different, I think the crowds come to see the fours and sixes and the big hits.

"But in Tests, definitely, he's making a pretty good point."

Watto adds weight to willow

Perhaps unsurprisingly, batsmen are not such avid fans of restricting bats sizes. One such opponent is former New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum.

Speaking to cricket.com.au last month, McCullum, who will join the MCC's World Cricket committee later this year, said the current regulations on bat sizes were adequate.

Quick Single: Watto likes big bats and he cannot lie

"It's still wood though isn't it?" McCullum said of modern bats. "Ultimately, if you can find the best piece of wood you shouldn't be penalised for that.

"It's a natural product - it's wood. If you've got the right people to find a piece of wood for you that's big and you're able to lift then, in my mind, play on. 

McCullum smashes fastest ever Test century

"You've still got to be able to lift them. My bats are 3lbs 1oz for instance but you've got to lift them and that's the thing.

"You've still got to be able to hook it off your nose when someone sniffs you at 140, 150 kph. You've got to get to the gym and get bigger and stronger. That's the evolution of the game.

"I don't think they need to regulate bat sizes, personally. You shouldn't be penalised for being able to lift a heavy bat or play with a heavier bat."

Quick Single: Bulletproof 'Ox Block' keeping umpires safe

A report commissioned by the MCC in 2014 found that while the length and width of bats has remained steady over the years, both the thickness of the blade and the size of the 'sweet spot' have increased dramatically.

The report found that bat thickness has increased up to 22 mm over the past century and the size of the 'sweet spot' on the face of the bat is almost two-and-a-half times larger.

The thickness of edges in modern bats has also increased by almost 300 per cent which, combined with greater stiffness to limit vibrations, means mis-hits can travel much further.

Despite those findings, the World Cricket Committee decided against placing any restrictions on bat sizes at a 2014 meeting.